Zootopia: Stone Kole in Dark Paradise
by Old Goat
Summary: Zooptopia's favorite small board surfer and his pals travel to an exotic tropical island to be in a movie, but the gang soon learns that everything is not as idyllic as it seems. On top of that, the fennec fox is in love with a sand cat and gets caught up in the WildeHopps mixed species controversy. This story contains voodoo, zombies, and there's also a pesky pirate ghost too!
1. Beginnings

**Stone Kole in Dark Paradise**

* * *

 **Zooptopia's favorite small board surfer and his pals travel to an exotic tropical island to be in a movie, but the gang soon learns that everything is not as idyllic as it seems. On top of that, the fennec fox is in love with a sand cat and gets caught up in the WildeHopps mixed-species controversy. This story contains voodoo, zombies, and there's also a pesky pirate ghost too!**

 **Welcome to the next story in the Stone Kole Series. For those of you who read my first story,** _ **Stone Kole in Hang Ten,**_ **this will be a continuation of that story, starting with a brief summary of our little friend and his background for any new readers.**

 _I do not own the rights to Zooptopia or any of its characters. This story was written solely for the reader's enjoyment and without any profitable purposes. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this story are fictitious._

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Beginnings**

 _Cannons! He remembered the sharp crack of the cannons, their flames lighting up the night followed by the thumping of iron balls against the splintering wood. He closed his eyes again and felt the peaceful darkness that entombed him. But then there was that awful pounding sound and it was noisy enough to wake the dead._

Kerpow...thump…the rhino in the brown overalls brought the huge sledgehammer down hard upon the wooden post. "A little deeper Paul!" a beaver yelled as he looked down at the blueprints. "Then the next one goes over here. This is going to be one sweet looking bungalow when it gets done."

* * *

Stone Kole stretched and yawned as he walked along the seashore, the fennec fox stood almost a foot and a half tall and was wearing his favorite multi-colored striped cotton Baja hoodie and a pair of dark blue boardshorts. It was still very early in the morning, so the beach crowd hadn't yet come out. Even during the winter months, it was still somewhat warm along the northern shores of the city's district called Sahara Square and its mammal made dry heated air strained against the cool wet wind blowing in from the sea to create a fog offshore. The section of the district that Stone knew and loved was informally called The Strand because of its many motels and hotels, along with the assorted businesses that catered to the tourist crowd.

The small long-eared tan furred fox looked inshore at the various buildings that lined The Strand's famous Boardwalk, a lovingly cared for wooden plank walkway that separated the touristy businesses from the sandy beach and the sea beyond. Bars, photo galleries, candy shops, and junky souvenir shops were lined up along the walkway. Above these were condos, apartments, and hotels. In the center of it all was the Carnival with its exciting rides, game booths, and food stands. Towering above everything, was the huge Ferris wheel and the vintage roller coaster, all quiet in the early morning hours. It would be later in the day before the Carnival would come to life again and by nightfall, its music and bright light would be a beacon to those seeking adventure. Further up the coast, he could see Sandy Cove with its luxury condominiums and its harbor bristling with sailboats and fancy yachts and beyond that harbor was the icy waters of the Polar Straits.

Fumbling in the hoodie's large pocket, he found his sunglasses and put them on as the morning sun brightened. Most of the tourists this time of year were from Tundratown and consisted of normally cold-loving mammals that had come south to enjoy an ice-free coastline. The majority of the other tourist came during the warmer summer months, the peak season as they called it on The Strand, but by then it would be too hot for the polar bears, moose, and other mammals from the north. As he walked along, he watched as the small sandpipers pecked into the sand for a meal, the little birds running from the incoming wave and then running after it as it receded. A larger gull would periodically fly by or land on the beach sizing the small fox up as a potential meal, but flapping away after Stone whacked it with a well-aimed throw of a pebble or a seashell.

The small fox loved the early mornings, an oddity for a mammal who was biologically wired as a nocturnal animal, but Stone Kole was always a bit of an enigma. He was from a long line of dry desert-loving foxes and yet he was a four-time small board champion surfer who loved the water. In addition, he was every inch a very male canid who was in love with a feline, a sand cat named Karen to be specific.

Along with his littermate Storm, Stone had grown up on the Strand where his single mother worked long hours in the motels and hotels as a maid, receptionist, and doing whatever jobs she could find to put food on the table. The two young foxes were shuffled from one family member or friend almost daily, but they loved their mother deeply. It wasn't until he was an adult that his mother admitted that their father hadn't run off on them, but that he actually didn't even know they were alive. The young fox finally tracked down his father, who turned out to be a foul-mouthed hustler named Finnick and ultimately reunited him with his mother. While Stone had turned to the sea to become a champion surfer, his brother Storm had turned to the streets to become a two-bit criminal and was now upstate in the penitentiary serving a ten-year sentence for a dozen assorted crimes.

Looking back at the Ferris wheel, he smiled as he thought about his best friend Cooper, who currently worked with the carnival. The fox and the wallaby had been constant companions since they first met, sharing a camper across the strait in Seaside during the offseason and a tent in the local campground during the surf season. Cooper was from Outback Island and although he was a good surfer, he was never top championship quality. Unlike Stone, the wallaby came from a fairly wealthy family, but Cooper was a disappointment to his traditional-minded father who rejected his son when he found out that his boy was gay. The wallaby turned to the surfer life to escape his overbearing family situation and soon met Stone and the two became inseparable until the fox fell in love with a cat and the wallaby with another hopper named Billy.

The last member of the surfing trio was a younger meerkat named Reggie, he was a brash and carefree soul who lived by that old meerkat motto, Hukuna Matata or no worries. Reggie was very talented on the board and was almost the little fox's equal, but his only problem was that his mouth sometimes got him in trouble. Stone and Cooper would often have to come to his rescue. Unlike his two friends, Reggie wasn't a refugee from his family problems and had come from a solid loving middle-class upbringing. Instead, the meerkat just loved to surf and with his parent's support took up the sport.

Stopping, the fox looked towards the surf with a longing to join it and ride the incoming waves. His paw reached up and gently touched a shell that hung on a cord around his neck; it was a gift from his lover. Karen was a sand cat who lived in her family's condo on The Strand and she worked as an assistant manager at one of the local hotels. She stood almost as tall as the fox and had a sexy curvy tan body with her species black-furred stripes on her arms and tail, along with her tantalizing green eyes. Despite her being a feline, Stone knew she was his soul mate and their bodies fit together like a lock and a key. Stone hurried along the shoreline until he found the sand dune that he was looking for and reached into his pocket for a tiny bottle that was attached to a cord. Knelling, he ran his paw along the sand and picked up enough grains to fill the small glass container. This was a special place for him because it was here behind the dune in the darkness of a soft summer night that they once made mad passionate love.

Satisfied, he wiped the sand from his legs and stuck the bottle into his pocket as he made his way back towards the condo. He wanted to have as much time with Karen before she left on her new job, a temporary transfer to her company's resort on Saint Sylvester Island. When he had told her that he would miss her, the cat just rolled her eyes and reminded him that he would be joining her in a few weeks for the filming of the sequel to the failed beach spy movie that he and his friends had a few bit parts in. The very bad movie had been repackaged before its release and became a hit comedy called _Beach SpyJinks_. The cat's transfer was at the request of the movie's lead actor, Rip Rock. The big bull had befriended Stone after his actions during a charity ball when the little fox refused to leave his sick date, a young cancer-stricken fox kit, at the hospital instead of attending the glamorous star-studded event. Impressed with the surfing fox, Rip invited him and his pals to cruise to the island on his private yacht.

With his gift tucked away, he hurried into her family's condo. Everyone but Karen and her sister was gone and the cat and her fox had the run of the place to themselves. Since she was working the night shift, Karen had chosen to sleep in late allowing Stone to do his errand without her knowing it. Creeping up the stairwell and silently opening the front door, he stealthily stalked his way into her room while leaving a trail of clothing behind him. She was still in bed and had tucked her head between two pillows, seemingly peacefully sleeping. Trying not to make a sound he slipped under the covers and reached for her. "Your paws had better not be cold!" she hissed in an amused voice.

"Aw, I wanted to surprise you!"

"The sound of your swishing tail was a giveaway fox."

"Hey stop that!" she giggled. "Your nose is cold!"

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time Stone made his way to the apartments west of the Strand and as he walked past the Big K Market, he saw a familiar van parked in front of his mother's apartment. The old van was not only his father Finnick's pride and joy, but it was also his home. He grinned as he heard the older fennec fox's deep voice trying not to curse as he was busy digging under the hood. A much taller red fox dressed in jeans and a dark blue long-sleeved shirt with a police logo on the chest pocket stepped from around the other side of the van and was reaching under the hood too.

"Let go Wilde!" the deep voice snarled and then the reddish-orange furred fox stepped back with his paws in the air in mock surrender.

"Your funeral grumpy!" the larger fox laughed.

Stone could now see the sand-colored tail and hindpaws sticking out of the hood. The younger fox's ears flicked as his father gave up any attempt to be civil and let loose a creative string of obscenities that would make a sailor blush.

"Do you kiss your son's mother with that mouth?" Nick sarcastically asked as he winked at Stone.

"As much as possible," Finn muttered from inside of the hood, unaware of his son's presence.

"You know that children can pick up on their parent's bad habits like your cussing?" the red fox snickered back. "You don't want any young impressionable ears to hear you using that kind of language do we?"

The reply was not only very creative, but it was also very obscenely disgusting.

"I don't think Mister Nick could physically do that no matter how hard he tried!" Stone spoke, causing his father to jump with a start and then add a few more creative words aimed at his son.

"Is cursing something you can inherit or is it just something one learns?" the younger fox mused. "For a moment there you sounded just like Storm."

A paw appeared over the hood's rim and displayed his father's middle digit.

"Love you too!" Stone laughed, causing Nick to grin and laugh.

"It's a good thing you take after your mom," the red fox observed. "Two cussing pint-sized foxes is more than I could handle today."

"Wilde, stick your paw over here!" a command came from under the van's hood. "No to your left, right there!" There was a thump and Nick gave out a surprised yip and quickly pulled his paw away. "Next time I'll bite it off!"

Stone watched as the feet wiggled and the tail swished as his father finally climbed out of the hood and turned to step down the ladder. The older fox was wearing tan pants and an oily tee-shirt, his father turned around and looked him over. "As for you my young pup, you're never too old to spank," he said with a grin. "Now give your dad a hug."

As Stone stepped into his father's embrace, Nick snorted and rolled his eyes before dramatically remarking, "Aw, you're going to make me cry!"

"Shut up Wilde," both of the smaller foxes said together.

"Geeze, it's like stereo!" the red fox chuckled.

"So you're off in a week or so to the islands?" Finn asked as he pulled off the dirty shirt and tossed it into the van before pulling on another of his many bowling shirts, this one dark red with a yellow stripe. "My son the movie star!"

"Do you even bowl?" Stone blurted out, it was a question that he had pondered for a while since his father seemed to own an impressive wardrobe of the shirts.

"Huh?" his dad grunted as he reached for a package of cigarettes. "Oh, these shirts! Naw, I got them from a sports store that was going bankrupt and bought them super cheap. Anyways, when are you leaving?"

"In a couple of weeks from now on Rip Rock's big yacht," the younger fox answered as he reached over and snatched the cigarette from his father's muzzle before he could light it. "You promised mom that you'd give these up."

"Females!" Finn huffed. "Always trying to change you, right Wilde?"

"Hey don't drag me in on this!" Nick replied.

"That rabbit has you running at the crack of dawn," the smaller fox chuckled.

"I happen to like running…early in the morning…before even the birds are awake…and everyone else who is sane," the larger fox answered, but his ears drooped at the grins the two smaller foxes were giving him. "Just shut up Finn!"

Finn just gave a deep laugh and threw his paw over the younger fox's shoulder. "Son, all three of us are just whipped and we wouldn't have it any other way."

Stone just hung his head and nodded.

Nick on the other paw grinned at them and shrugged. "So there's a bar down the street, let's go there for refreshments and do some macho trash-talking," he chuckled. "The first round is on me!"


	2. Shiver Me Timbers Fox!

**Chapter 2: Shiver Me Timbers Fox!**

* * *

 **Karen packs and heads off on her big adventure, as Stone cleans up their mess. Things don't go the way he planned when an unexpected visitor appears.**

* * *

 _Thump…wham…thump…the pounding continued, disturbing his sleep. Then suddenly there was the tiny tinkling sound of a coin falling somewhere in the distance, metal against stone. His consciousness came awake as he panicked. Me treasure! They have me treasure, those blackhearts! With snarls and growls he fought the bonds that held him prisoner in the darkness, but try as hard as he could not break them and he was left once again whimpering in the darkness._

* * *

"Gods, Karen!" the small fennec fox groaned as he saw the pile of suitcases stacked beside the condo's front door. "Did you leave anything in your room?"

The sand cat looked over at him with a smile as her paw played with the small glass vial of sand that hung around her neck, a gift from her lover. Stone's eyes looked her over in appreciation of her beauty even though her curvy figure was now covered by the blue pantsuit and white blouse with the hotel's logo on its breast. How he wished he could turn back time for just a few hours and feel that body next to his again, but time moves on and with a sigh, he looked over at the stack of suitcases again.

"I did leave my winter clothes and your clothes too, of course!"

"Yeah, I know to get those out and then give the place a thorough cleaning before I leave," he repeated her earlier instructions. "Including the shower drain, as your mother pointed out last time."

"It would just be a lot easier to tell my father that you've moved in with me."

"You want me to tell a tomcat that I'm sleeping with his daughter? Not without you to cower behind, I've seen his claws when they are out!"

"All this time I thought you foxes were gallant," she purred as her paws reached over to cup his cheeks. Her muzzle drew closer and their noses touched.

"No, we foxes are sneaky…and sly…and devious…" he began to answer, but she cut off the remainder of his comments with a kiss.

"But not my Stoney," she sighed as their noses touched again. "He's my gallant and strong fox." He grinned back at her until she added, "Strong as in carrying my entire luggage to the curbside before the cab arrives."

He started to groan, but instead stepped back and pulled his blue long-sleeved cotton tee shirt sleeves back and flexed his muscles as a bodybuilder would do.

"I don't think Mister Rip Rock has anything to worry about from you," she giggled at his antics. "No, you're my slim, sexy, and horny fox."

"Horny?" he replied as he crossed his eyes and touched his nose with his paw. "You've got me confused with a rhino, I don't see a horn."

"You very well know what I mean. Now help me with the luggage."

"I've gone from being a sex symbol to a servant, all in one minute," he said as he gave out a deep mock sigh. "But your wish is my command."

"Oh don't look so offended! You may try to convince me that you feel one way, but your tail gives you away. If it swishes any faster, it might snap off."

"Betrayed by my own tail, too bad I can't get it to do the heavy lifting."

"More work and less bitching!" she commanded in an authoritarian voice.

"Aye…Aye captain!" he called back as he staggered down the hallway with his first load. "Then I'll heave to and swab the decks!"

"I'd rather you shivered me timbers mate!" she called back and then put her paw over her mouth in surprise when her neighbor Miss Betty opened her door and looked out. "Sorry, ma'am."

"That's okay sweetie," the elderly wombat replied with a sweet laugh. "If I was your age I'd rather have, how did you put it? Oh yes, have me timbers shivered by such a handsome fox too! So are you are off on your adventure?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be working for a couple of months in the tropics at the company's resort."

"Well, have a good time and watch out for pirates!" Myrtle snickered as she closed her door and left the two lovers alone in the hallway.

By the time the fox carried the last load to the curb, the yellow cab had arrived and a tall Ibex stepped out of the driver's seat. He began loading the small bags into the trunk.

Stone kissed Karen as she climbed into the back of the cab and he noticed that the cabbie rolled his eyes and grimaced before opening the driver's side door, it was obvious that the bigger mammal was not a fan of mixed species relationships. "Call me before you board the plane," the fox asked the sand cat. She nodded and excitedly closed the vehicle's door. He stood and watched as it drove away into the city's traffic. Then satisfied that she was safely off on her trip, he climbed up the stairs that led up to her condo and looked around with a groan, before going into the bedroom to strip the sheets from the bed.

"Well, it looks like you've got a lot of cleaning to do," a very male voice spoke from the living room. "After all, you'd hate for her father to find out that you've been sleeping with his daughter."

Suprised, Stone gave one of his embarrassing yelpish yowls that fennec foxes make and his ears drooped while he slowly walked into the room to face the pudgy tomcat named Chuck, who was standing there looking out the window. "You're very sneak, sir," he softly muttered to Karen's father, who was standing there staring at him.

"So what should a father do when he finds out his daughter is living with her boyfriend and they haven't told him a thing?"

"I'm sorry sir…I should have…" Stone mumbled. He stood there with his tail tucked close to his legs and his ears flat.

"Yes, you should have. Stone do you know anything about sand cat courtship?"

"No, sir. Is it different from that of fennec foxes?"

"Of course!" the tomcat snapped before taking a seat in his favorite chair, he pointed toward the sofa and arched his eyebrows. "Sit!"

Stone slowly walked towards the couch and took a seat, he stared down at the ground in a canid submissive manner. The cat wanted to chuckle because the surfer looked like a puppy who was caught with his paws in the cookie jar. "Sand cats are notoriously fickle when it comes to their affections," began to explain. "Karen's mother, my wife, was seeing two other tomcats before she settled with me."

Stone looked up in surprise and he blurted out, "Seeing?"

"That's the nice cat term for what you two have been doing. The thing is that this is expected and the proper etiquette is to tell the cat's father that you are in that kind of relationship. Where do you think the term catting around comes from?"

Stone looked over at him and tried not to pull his ears over his eyes, an immature fennec fox defensive trait.

"Look, you and my daughter are catting around. You should have been male enough to let me know and asked my approval."

"Would you have approved?"

"I do approve! But why didn't you ask me, instead of hiding it behind my back?"

"In my culture, the vixen is the one who decides and announces the relationship. That's because once we foxes choose a mate, it's for life."

"Huh, I didn't know…speaking of mating, you do know that you two can never have kittens?" the tomcat answered. He looked much more relaxed and had sheathed his claws as he looked at the thin fox. "When a female cat settles on her mate, they breed and the act of having kittens is the final part of a marital union.

"Ours is publicly marking each other."

"Well that won't work with cats, we rub ourselves on everything," Chuck laughed. "It means that this is mine or I've been here."

"So can I ah…see your daughter?"

"Well, I suppose so. So let's finish with the laundry and as for the rest of the cleaning, don't worry about it. Although we may want to clean the shower drain, my wife seems to look there first to see if anyone has been catting around with her daughters."

As Stone stood up and began to turn toward the pile of sheets in the hallway, the tomcat quickly added, "Oh and Stone one last word of advice, if another tomcat comes poking around Karen you have my permission to fight him." The fox looked back at him in surprise and the cat chuckled. "That's what we tomcats do, a lot of growling and hissing to show we love her."

"I don't know if I could do that? I can yowl, growl, and yip."

"Oh that's the thing about you foxes, you seem to be a lot like us felines in many of your ways and actions. It's sometimes hard to believe you're related to wolves and not to we cats. Anyway, let's get to work and after we're done cleaning, I'll treat you to fried chicken down at The Shack for lunch."

Stone smiled and quickly gathered up the sheets, his tail was happily swishing behind him because life was good for the little fox or so he thought.


	3. For the Love of a Fox

**Chapter 3: For the Love of a Fox**

* * *

 **Just when things are just beginning to be going great for Stone, it seems his world is turned upside down. Being a fox, he is used to other's prejudices but Karen is not.**

* * *

 _He wandered in the darkness, the pounding had stopped but he impotently fumed in anger as he remembered that morning so long ago when he tried to leave her. She should have expected it, after all, it was in his nature to be that way and she knew that. He had a reputation of being a thief, a scoundrel, a cheat and of course a terror of the seven seas, at least that's what he told anyone who listened. But she was different, a dark and brooding island temptress who seduced many males from the sea and she cast her charms to work on him. He spent seven feverish lustful nights with her and when it was time to leave, he faced her wrath that morning. She was the one who put him here in this place, where he now awaited release of the dark curse she spun upon his very soul._

* * *

Things were going really good for the fox. He was in love with Karen and had settled things with her father. He had money in his pocket and was about to earn much more by being a cast member in a movie, so once again fortune seemed to smile on the little fennec fox named Stone Kole. His tail wagged as he watched the big tomcat bite into the huge chicken leg with gusto. "I don't care what those snotty-nosed chefs claim, the dark meat is still the best part of the bird and I'll take chicken over quail any day of the year!" The cat mumbled as he chewed.

The fox looked with anticipation at the chicken leg that was on the plate in front of him and he inhaled the scent of the deep-fried batter, he couldn't wait to take a bite of his own. Just as he lifted the leg and had opened his jaws, his cell phone rang. Quickly wiping his paws, he answered, "Karen, you're already boarding?...what do you mean…why?...why were you suspended?" His ears dropped and he lost his appetite as he heard her sobbing. "I'll be right there!"

"What's wrong with my kitten?" Chuck asked. "Is she okay?"

"She's at the airport and was waiting to board her flight when she got a call from her boss, he said the hotel's owners have suspended her," the fox growled as he waved for the waitress. "I've got to get a cab and go get her."

"Why was she suspended?"

"Something about a violation of the moral turpitude conduct clause in her employment contract. It seems that dating a fox is against the law!"

"Who the hell says that!" the big cat snarled as he shoved some bills into the waitress's paw. "I've never heard that before?"

The waitress, a middle-aged grey fox, looked over at them. "Sorry to intrude Stoney, but it's been all over the news today," she interjected. "It seems that a fox cop got caught kissing his partner, a bunny, and the city's suspended them based on an old law from the turn of the last century called the Purity Law. Everyone has been talking about it already and the police union is threatening to sue city hall over its legality."

"And so my kitten is caught in the middle of the feud?" Chuck sighed. "Let's go get her Stoney and bring her home until we can figure this out."

Instead of a cab, Chuck drove his sedan to the airport and when they got there they saw Karen dejectedly sitting on the curbside with her luggage. "Was she migrating?" the tomcat asked the fox as he pulled up and saw all the bags. Stone just shook his head, he was in no mood for humor and practically jumped out of the car before it stopped. Running over to Karen, he engulfed the crying cat in his arms. They were surprised when the stout tomcat embraced them both.

It took them more than just a few minutes to load the bags into the trunk and as they were doing so, a large police officer approached them for holding up traffic. "She just lost her job for dating me!" Stone snarled at the wolf.

The cop looked down at the fox and the two cats before he reached down and picked up some of the luggage which he toted to the car. "Yeah, I work with Wilde and Hopps," the large wolf sighed. "What is going on is not fair and makes me sick."

Stone looked up at the uniformed wolf and read his badge. "Thanks, Officer Wolford," he said as he opened the door to let Karen into the car.

"You're Finn's pup aren't you, Stone Kole the surfer? My pups love to watch you surf. I also know your dad, I've had a few brews with him and Nick before. You two be safe and if anyone messes with you, call me." He handed the fox his card and then shook the small fox's paw.

"Canine loyalty," Chuck absentmindedly said as he pulled the sedan out into the traffic. "That's one thing I wished that this city had more of and less of a cat eat mouse attitude."

Stone didn't reply but stroked Karen's head which was on his shoulder, she was still sniffling. "I don't understand why things have to be so complicated?" she asked. "Why can't others just let us love who we want?"

"Ask Cooper and Billy that question," Stone sighed. "Being gay makes them the experts, how many times have they had to deal with others prejudicial looks or comments?"

She nodded and wiped her tears, "Thanks for coming to get me, daddy. I was going to call you when we got back to the condo."

"You called while Stoney and I were having lunch, I helped him finished cleaning the place," the tomcat replied and then chuckled at the surprised face his daughter gave him. "We already talked kitten and I know what's going on between you two. Now let's get you home, your momma is worried about you too."

"But we're heading to the house and not to the beach. I don't want to be apart from Stoney tonight!"

"We can blow up the air mattress for you in your old room. You'll just have to be careful of all of your mother's crafts. You do know that she turned the bedroom into her sewing room.

"Where will Stoney sleep?"

"It's a big mattress and I'm sure that since you two fit in your bed at the condo, you'll fit together on the mattress."

"Oh my!" Karen groaned as she blushed and hid her face against the fox's chest.

"Oh my, indeed kitten! Another thing about tomcats Stone, if you mess with any of our clowder we take it personally and we will fight tooth and claw to protect our own. You're my kitten's fox and that makes you one of my clowder and so anyone who messes with you has to answer to me!"

"My dad's so Alpha," Karen whispered. "But he is right."

Stone leaned back and looked into her eyes. "Sandfly once told me that the wolves have any old saying that the pack takes care of the pack," he said. "We foxes don't live that way and we don't have packs or clowders, so I guess I'll have to learn to accept this part of your life."

She sighed and snuggled closer to him and he smiled as he felt her cheek rub his cheek, marking him. He knew that no matter what others might say, she was his and he was hers and that no one could change that.

He spoke with Cooper later that night and the wallaby said that the news of Karen's suspension had spread like wildfire along The Strand. It seems that her manager, Mister Quill, had brought it to the executive staff's attention after the controversy over Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps had hit the news. Instead of waiting and hoping that it wouldn't become a PR issue, the HR department thought that her removal from the company would keep the hotel chain from being dragged into the controversy. They failed to understand what was happening and it backfired when the news of her suspension first hit social media and then the news channels.

They sat in the living room of her parents' home, which was an oversized suburban red brick ranch style house just north of Hyenahurst. The living room had blue carpet and light yellow walls with a couple of ceiling fans twirling overhead, bringing a breeze to the room below. Karen had snuggled under Stone's arm as they sat on the sofa and watched the nightly news with trepidation. The reporter droned on about the fallout of the WildeHopps Scandal as they were calling it.

 _"Champion surfer Stone Kole has been caught up in the controversial Purity Law…"_

 _"The courts will have to decide the constitutionality of the old law…"_

 _"A red fox in love with a rabbit…"_

 _"A fennec fox in love with a sand cat…"_

 _"A spokesmammal for the hotel chain released this statement today, "We are obligated to follow the laws and we only took the necessary steps to comply with city law once her relationship was brought to our attention. Our employee has been suspended from her duties pending further investigation…"_

 _"The spokesmammal declined to respond to this reporter's question that although such a relationship was considered illegal in the city, she had been officially transferred to Saint Sylvester Island where it was not considered a crime…"_

"Good question," the tomcat grunted as he entered the room. "I've heard that the Island's Consul General has requested a meeting with the hotel chain's management team to ask that very question. Too bad you weren't already on the island before they pulled this stunt, because it would have been a violation of that nation's law."

"I wasn't and so there's not much anyone can do," Karen sighed.

After the news, they looked around the sewing room that was once Karen and her sister's bedroom, the walls that had once been pink and blue were now painted over in a sandy white color. Her brothers had already been in there and had inflated the large air mattress. Stone sighed as he helped her pull on the sheets and blankets. "I don't have any more clothes than I was already wearing," he commented. "I don't have any pajamas either."

"Mom thought about that and she dug out a few of my old sleeping shirts," the cat giggled as she tossed a pink shirt over to the fox and he held it up to look at the cartoon unicorn with wings.

"You really want me to wear this?"

"Well we can't have you stalking the hallways naked," she giggled. He huffed and pulled the shirt on, it was a tad too tight and when he stood, it stuck up where his tail was wagging showing his butt.

"Oh, that isn't going to work, will it? You're sticking up all over the place, both in the front and back."

"Maybe I should wear my shorts unless you want to do you know what?" He offered.

"Stoney, this is my parent's house!" she replied in a mortified voice.

His ears drooped in disappointment as he nodded and reached for his shorts.


	4. You Foxy Thing

**Chapter 4: You Foxy Thing**

* * *

 **Stone comes up with a plan and Karen learns that her fox has picked up a bad habit from Nick Wilde.**

* * *

" _You know I can't stay luv," he had told her that morning. "Me ship is sailing at high tide and the sea awaits us." He didn't know at that time that she had no intention of letting him go and that his fate had already been sealed. Whistling a carefree tune, he dressed and pulled on his tricorn hat as he cheerfully walked down the sandy trail towards his ship. It was then, just as he saw the blue sea on the horizon, that his leg was gripped with a terrible sharp pain causing him to stumble and howl in agony. He looked up and saw her in the shadows, she held something in her paw and smiled as she pushed another pin into the crude doll and the coyote yipped._

* * *

Stone awoke in the early dawn hours and at first panicked in his sleepy confusion when he sat up and looked around, but he soon gathered his wits and pulled the sheets over the beautiful cat who was curled up on the bed. Standing up, he showed his fangs as he yawned and stretched before absentmindedly scratched himself. He walked over to the door and just before he opened it, realized that he couldn't go parading down the hallway to the bathroom half-naked. Looking back at the pink unicorn sleep shirt, he shook his head no before finding the tee-shirt he was wearing the previous night.

After he went to the bathroom, he found his way to the kitchen. "I'm not sure which smells worse, the scent of a gamey fox or the fact you smell a little bit like my sister," a teenage tomcat sitting at the kitchen table complained to Stone as the fox poked around for a coffee mug.

"Your sister had a rough day yesterday," Stone replied as he poured himself a cup of coffee and slowly sipped it. "Please be nice to her today."

"Yeah I heard you two talking around midnight," the sixteen-year-old cat snickered. "I have the room next door."

"Sorry Wyatt," the fox sighed, his ears flattened on his head. "I thought we were being quiet."

"My headboard is against the wrong wall," Wyatt replied in a matter of fact voice. "It hard to believe that you two loving each other is against the law."

"Stoney!" a familiar voice called for him from down the hallway. "Your phone went off, I think it was your agent?"

"Great, so is this when I get fired too?" the fox grumbled as he refilled his mug and poured a second mug of coffee before heading back towards the bedroom. He greeted Karen with a kiss. She was still in her nightshirt and was staring at the phone as if it was a poisonous snake. He passed her a mug of the coffee and then picked up the phone. "Well it wasn't my agent, so I guess it's just some reporter wanting an interview."

He was startled when the phone rang again and the same number appeared on the screen. "Are you going to answer it?" the cat asked as she sipped her coffee.

He shrugged as he pressed the button. "Hello?" he spoke into the phone.

A familiar and cheerful accented voice spoke, "Stone is that you? I was calling to confirm that you still were planning to meet us at the yacht next week."

"Mister Rock, I wasn't sure why you were calling sir," Stone replied. "I was going to call my agent later this morning to find out if I still was needed."

"Don't be silly Stone! This mixed-species hullabaloo will pass, it's more of a local issue around here then worldwide anyways."

"I just thought that the bad PR would cause problems."

"Any PR is good if you got the right staff that knows how to spin it and right now this is looking like you two are star-crossed lovers who are being mercilessly attacked by less tolerant bigots in the community. This is good for the film, because every time they mention Stone Kole, they mention the film and besides the segment of the population who are against you two is not the same age that will be going to see the movie. _Beach SpyJinks_ is about to hit the pay-for-view cable channels, so the timing is perfect."

"I don't know…"

"Sure you do, so bring your girl…ah, Karen…with you and she can take a mini-vacation until the hotel realizes they made a mistake, which if my sources are correct is going to be soon anyways since they are losing their Spring Break business at their beach resorts already. Just one last thing to mention, if anyone tries to get you to talk, refer them to the PR firm for any statements, you do understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

"The press is swarming your mother's place and your girlfriend's condo, so are you in a safe place?"

"I'm at her parent's place and we haven't seen anyone poking around yet."

"It's just a matter of time before they show up. Do you have someplace you two can go for a while?"

"Cooper and I have a place over in Seaside, across the strait. Those locals hate reporters poking around, they like their privacy."

"Good, now I've got breakfast at the club this morning. I'll see you on the boat!"

Stone looked at the phone after the bull had hung up. "Well?" Karen asked. The cat stood there wringing her paw and biting her low lip in concern.

"Well, you've been invited to join us on the trip to Saint Sylvester Island aboard the big guy's yacht," he cheerfully replied. "Rip says that this thing is actually good for the film and I'm still in the movie. It seems that this morning we're all over the media as two victims of bigoted bullying."

"Really, things changed that fast?" Karen asked as she sat down on the mattress and pulled up the internet on her phone to read the headlines. There was story after story about how Wilde and Hopps were being mistreated by city hall and also Stone and Karen too. Almost every story about the two cops mentioned Karen being suspended by the hotel.

"It's not looking good for your bosses," Stone said as he sat down next to her and read over her shoulder, they looked at the online survey. "Over eighty percent of the ages eighteen to twenty-four and seventy-five percent ages twenty-five to thirty-four disagree with your being suspended and that's the movie-going ages that our movie is trying to attract."

There was a soft rap on the door. "Mom says for you two to get some clothes on for breakfast," Wyatt called out.

Karen hung her head and sighed. "Dad's on the warpath you know," the cat said as she snuggled up to the fox. "Tomcats are very protective of their kittens."

"So are foxes," Stone chuckled as he pushed her back onto the air mattress.

"Stone, the family is waiting for us to join them for breakfast," she giggled as she slapped his paws away. "Now behave!"

He groaned as he rolled and sat up on the floor. "Wyatt says I smell a little musky today. Do you think it would be okay if I took a shower after breakfast? Then I think you and I need to leave and go over to Seaside until either this blows over or we leave for our trip."

"You don't like sleeping on an air mattress in my old room surrounded by my family?" she giggled. "It didn't stop you last night."

"I wasn't thinking about anyone but you when that happened," he replied with a grin. "But Rip says that it's just a matter of time before an army of reporters shows up here and that we need to a hideout. You know what they say about Seaside?"

"It's the land of the misfits and refugees from the big city," she scoffed. "You told me that."

"Misfits and refugees who cherish their community's privacy. It'll be a bit more primitive then here and a lot more private with your mom, dad, brothers, and sisters not under paw." He wiggled his eyebrows at her causing her to giggle.

"Where did you learn that?"

"Dad's friend Nick does it all the time."

Her father was not at all happy about their plans, but her mother mulled it over and came to the conclusion that it wasn't a great idea, but a good one. "Are you sure you'll be safe there?" she asked.

"You either have to drive along the coast or take the ferry across and it's not exactly a place where strangers are noticed and nosy strangers are not made welcome," Stone replied. "You know that if they find out we are here, this nice suburban street will be overrun by the press."

That was the deciding factor and Karen went after breakfast to repack some of her clothes, the remainder would be sent to the pier before they sailed on their trip to the island.


	5. Land of Misfits & Refugees

**Chapter 5: The Land of Misfits and Refugees.**

* * *

 **Stone and Karen go to his and Cooper's place away from the city. There Karen meets some of Stone's unique friends and neighbors.**

* * *

 _The pain caused the coyote to drop to his knees and he watched as she slipped out of the dark forest to look down at him. "I told you luv that I was leaving," he whimpered. She silently smiled at him and pulling out another pin held it the side of the doll's head. "No…" he pleaded in vain before she shoved the pin into the doll. The pain was excruciating and he saw stars before his eyes, then everything went black._

* * *

Stone Kole lugged their bags from the ferry and looked at the heavily wooded forest before them. The winter chill was more pronounced here then it was across the water in the city because there were no artificial heaters to fool with the weather. Karen looked at the tall lush evergreen trees that seem to rise up into the heavens above, the forest here looked primal. Several gulls soared overhead, passing over the two small mammals and leaving them in peace. A few logging trucks and a couple of cars drove off of the ferry and headed away along the mostly empty paved highway that led into the interior.

Neither Stone nor Karen had a car, but that didn't matter because their ride was already waiting for them. The deputy sheriff pushed his bulk from inside the large black SUV and purposely strolled towards the two young lovers. "So you finally came home," the large black bear in a dark brown windbreaker and a tan police uniform stated. "It's about time! I figured after that movie, you had gotten too big for your own pintsized britches. At least Cooper calls us periodically to let us know what he's up to and we can understand his not coming back right now between working and a boyfriend, but you Mister Kole we never hear from until you're chased across the water and hounded by the press. So is this the girl that caused all those city folks to have a meltdown?"

Stone smiled and looked up at the bear, "Karen, this tub of lard is Deputy Ben and if we ask really nice he might just give us a ride to the campsite." The bear tipped his campaign hat and smiled down at her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, officer," she said. "May we indulge your hospitality for a ride?"

"Now it would be my pleasure to take you into town," he replied with a grin. "We heard from the ferry master that you and Stone were onboard and figuring that his place would have no vittles, so the folks at the Mermaid Bar and Grill want you two to stop in for some grub. Let me help you with your things." The bear leaned over and picked up her small bags and then snatched up the protesting fox by his belt and carried him, along with the luggage towards the vehicle. Marie giggled as she followed.

The unincorporated community of Seaside was nestled in a small cove and surrounded by the dense temperate rain forest, its fir and cedar trees were covered with moss and there was a lush undergrowth of ferns. As they rounded a curve in the road, the little village came into view with its gaily and brightly painted clapboard cottages. An ancient-looking gray stone church and a vast cemetery dominated the ridge above and there were a few larger buildings were along the waterfront lining a large sandy beach. As they drew closer, she saw that the yards had wonderful artwork out front and fancifully painted murals. More than one home had a rainbow flag flying from a pole attached to a post.

"City folks who come here think we are eccentric!" the deputy laughed.

"Unusual is what they tell me," the fox snickered.

The bear wheeled the SUV towards the waterfront and parked in front of a ramshackle looking building with grey boards and a weathered sign proclaiming it was the Mermaid Bar and Grill. Cautiously, Karen stepped out of the vehicle and clutched Stone's paw as the fox looked at the building with a smile.

"I'm going back to the office, give me a holler when you're ready to go to the camper," Ben said before ambling down the street, leaving the police vehicle parked where he left it.

"Well let's get this over with," Stone chuckled. "They're acting like I haven't been here for years, but both Cooper and I were here this past fall until after Thanksgiving." He opened the door and looked around at the pawfull of regulars hanging out at the bar.

"Well if it isn't the big-shot movie star!" an elderly walrus in a pair of overalls and a white apron called from behind the bar. His comments produced chuckles from the patrons in the room.

"Okay you head farmers and trolls, this is Karen," Stone announced to the bar. "Karen this is the village council, a bunch of crotch jockeys if there ever were such."

"Such sediments of love from a fox," a grey muzzled pika snorted out from the end of the bar. The little mammal was dressed in an old oversized green tee shirt that hung like a dress and Marie realized that he probably didn't have any pants on underneath.

"That my dear is Sam Scatterwell or as we call him Gandalf the Gay," Stone told her as she waved towards the small rodent. "We have Big Al behind the bar and this pretty lady is Mabel"

The old seal sashayed her way over to the cat and hugged her. "Come on and take a seat at the bar," she said. "Al made you two a fish stew for lunch and I'll pull you both a couple of brews."

As she sat down, a portly possum in a worn-out checkered flannel shirt and jeans took the seat next to her and Stone. "Karen I would like you to meet Fishbait," the fox chuckled. "He's our town's unofficial postmaster and owns the local store."

The possum shook her paw. "Well now ya'll two wandered back just in time for the village's annual midwinter film festival," Fishbait said in a smooth southern voice. "I reckon Stoney that since we all voted you to be this year's mayor, that ya'll will be making a speech before the first film."

Stone chocked on his beer and looked over at the possum in surprise. "I thought Scuttles was still the mayor!" he whimpered.

"Scuttles died!" Fishbait sighed with a shrug. "He was pretty long in the years for a seagull."

"Your mayor was a seagull," Karen asked in surprise. "You had a bird in charge of the village?"

"Shoot fire Sugar," the possum laughed. "Ain't anyone in charge around here! We just get together to decide things and being mayor is just a joke anyway. But the film festival starts tomorrow night up at the old church, ah reckon ya'll will want to bring some blankets because it's kinda like a little old lockin. We're showing some classics too!"

"Not _Beach Blanket Bimbos_!" the fox sighed.

"Yep and we even got your movie _Beach SpyJinks!_ too," the possum replied with a grin. "Got it from some feller named Duke over in the city, shootfire we didn't even know it was already out on DVD."

"It isn't!" Stone groaned. "You got a bootleg copy."

"Oops, oh well I reckon we'll just up and have to tell everyone to wear boots then," Fishbait joked. "Well as members of the village's city council, we'll have to review the evidence tomorrow night and then I reckon we up and turn it over to the sheriff."

Stone just shook his head and took a gulp of his beer.

"Hey, what can you expect from a village who's mayor is a sexual deviant?" Al snorted from the other side of the counter.

"Stone isn't a sexual deviant!" Karen hissed in shock.

"Sure he is and you are too," the walrus grinned down at her. "At least you are over in the city, violators of the Purity Law is what they claim. Welcome to Seaside, where stupid laws like those don't apply and lovers like you two are welcome."

Everyone raised their drinks in a salute of welcome.

The police vehicle slowly pulled down the rutted muddy road that led to the campsite. Ahead of them stood a cute little camper that had been painted with red, yellow, and blue stripes, along with some tarp-covered solar panels. Karen looked out of the window and gave a small frown when she saw the other two buildings, a small wooden privy and a tin-roofed shower hut made from old grey boards. "You weren't joking when you said you lived off the grid," she commented to the fennec fox. "I didn't imagine the primitive state of your plumbing."

The deputy let out a hearty laugh as Stone groaned.

"It's not so bad," the fox replied in an apologetic tone as he gave her a weak smile. "We do have a composting toilet inside that I can set up if you want it and the shower is solar heated."

"I'm sure it works very well during the hot summer months, but this is winter."

"Think it as Glamping, except without the glamor."

"Nice try fox!" the bear chucked from the driver's seat as he parked the SUV. "Welcome to Shangri-La!"

Stone tossed the deputy an aggravated look as he opened the door and helped the cat out of the big vehicle. Before he left, Ben offered her his business card and made her promise to call him if she decided to go back into the village for a room with indoor plumbing.

It took a few moments of pushing and tugging before Stone got the camper's door to open and he immediately rushed inside and began picking up some of the dirty laundry that he had left strewn about months ago.

After waiting for him to invite her in, Karen entered and looked around. There was a small kitchenette which mercifully had been left somewhat clean, but the refrigerator had been unplugged and when she opened the door the insides smelled of mildew and it was empty except for some cans of beer. The camper itself had a very male fox and wallaby smell, but it was relatively clean except for the dust. A cot sat in a corner next to an old chair and a beat-up old sofa. Her eyebrows rose slightly at the sight of the basket. "Is that your bed?" she asked and he nodded.

"It might be a little tight for two. We do have an inflatable…" He didn't finish because she was beginning to strip as she walked towards him with a grin. He was right, the basket was a little small for both the cat and fox but he didn't complain as she snugged on top of him with a satisfied smile. His paw ran lovingly down her naked back, causing her to purr and within a few moments, she fell asleep in his arms.

After they finished their nap, the fox yawned as he untangled himself from her and stretched. "I guess I need to get the solar panels uncovered before it gets dark," he told her as he walked towards the door. "Do you want me to set up the potty too?"

She giggled as she watched him walking towards the door. "You always walk around naked?" she asked in an amused voice.

"Not when Coopers here, but this week wearing clothing is optional around here!"

She threw his jeans at him. "Put your pants on fox! It's cold out there and I don't want you to freeze your tail or anything else off."

He pulled on his pants and grabbed his cotton Baja hoodie before exiting the camper. After pulling on her slacks, blouse, and jacket, she joined him outside. "So where do you get your water for the shower?"

"It's piped in by gravity from a nearby stream. The potable water for drinking and cooking is from a well down the road, there are a couple of buckets that we can fill and carry back."

"Yep, this is Glamping without the glamor," she giggled as she rolled her eyes.

It didn't take him long to get the power hooked up and then to turn the shower water back on, he also showed her a small device made from coiled copper pipes that used a small propane bottle that could be used to heat up the water, the whole contraption looked like a moonshine still but it worked.

"Now let me show you the best part about this place," he said in an excited voice as enthusiastically pulled her down a trail through the dunes. She gasped at the white sandy beach and the perfect surf when it came into view. "Wow!" was all she could say.

He pulled her closer and began unbuttoning her blouse. "This is a clothing-optional beach," he huskily stated.

"You've got to be kidding Stone!" she laughed as she pushed him away. "I want a wet suit and a board, the surfs up!"


	6. Movie Night

**Chapter 6: Movie Night**

* * *

 **Stone and Karen go into the village for movie night and the fox finally sees his own movie.**

* * *

 _He awoke tied to a chair and around him stood her undead minions, zombified past lovers and he feared that that would be his fate. "So luv, this is what you're going to do to me too?" he asked and she just laughed. "No Jack, for you I have worse," she replied as she pulled a colorful snake from within a basket, he recognized it as a venomous coral snake. Slowly she waved it before his face, moving it along the fur of his cheeks and he expected its deadly bite at any moment. Instead of allowing the snake to strike, she held it high into the air and then with malice, threw the writhing object into a pot by the fire. "A much worse fate then death for you pirate," she screamed._

* * *

Karen rode his bicycle and he struggled to keep up with her on Cooper's larger bike as they peddled down the road towards the village. After surfing most of the afternoon yesterday, Stone showed her how to cast a net to catch a few small fish for their dinner, which he grilled over a campfire and served with some dandelion greens. But the cat was still starving since the only thing she had eaten that day was a meal that consisted of a shared can of sardines and some slightly stale crackers. Stone assured her that they would stop at the store to restock the pantry because they were planning to be at the campsite for the remainder of the week. But tonight was movie night in the old church and the fox promised her that the villagers had prepared a potluck feast for dinner.

As they entered the social hall, which was in the basement of the old grey church that overlooked the village below, Karen was not surprised at the very eclectic group of individuals who greeted them. Most of the forty or so villagers were of the predator classification and older than she and Stone. There were a few young children, mostly offspring of the seal folk who commercially fished along the coast for lobster and crabs or harvested the kelp.

The sand cat's mouth watered at the delicious smells that greeted them and she looked over in hungry anticipation at the tables laden with dishes. "I told you there would be a feast," the fox whispered in her ear.

Everyone began to crowd around the small couple, wanting to meet the girl that had stolen their favorite surfer's heart. "You've got to love small towns," she sighed as her companion began to introduce her to his friends. Then they got to a table where two walruses were sitting, she recognized one of them as Big Al and he was now dressed in a pair of khaki slacks and a large woolen sweater. Next to him was a slightly thinner walrus in a tan sheriff's uniform. "Well I suppose you two have been surfing when not romancing each other today," the sheriff said in a deep rumbling voice. "I just wanted you two to know that although those blockheads across the strait have not yet burned down their city, there have been some ugly demonstrations both for and against mixed species relationships. I just got off the phone with Chief Bogo who said to keep an eye on you two, it seems that some moron disrupted the city council meeting by taking a shot at that fox named Nick Wilde."

"Is he okay?" Stone quickly asked in a concerned voice. "He's my dad's best friend."

"Oh yeah," the sheriff chuckled. "I can't say the same thing about the idiot who shot at him though. Who knew a rabbit could move that fast and hit that hard? The gun-toting zebra lost at least a couple of teeth when she kicked him in the snout. I think when I retire I might ask Officer Hopps to take my job. I think those two would fit right in around here. "

"So the suspension is still in place?" the fox asked and the walrus just nodded.

An elderly tiger approached them and leaned heavily on her cane. "Enough talk about that damned city, it's time to eat and knowing Stoney there probably wasn't anything edible at the camper," she chuckled. "He would have starved to death years ago if it hadn't been for Cooper."

She led them to the table full of food and there were several dishes Karen recognized, such as poached eggs in spinach and roasted hens. But in the center of the table was a very odd-looking casserole that made her look at it closer. She saw whole fish heads poking through a layer of flaky brown crust, giving the impression they were staring at the ceiling. "It's called Stargazy Pie dear," Mabel told her, the seal had joined her by the table. "They also call it fish head pie and it's a recipe from my home village of Mousehole across the sea."

"I've never seen anything like it before," Karen asked in awe. "What's in it?"

"Sardines, potatoes, onions, eggs, and a few carrots," the seal answered. "You eat it with some of this rhubarb chutney. She scooped up a portion onto a plate and handed it to the cat. "Enjoy honey."

Karen thanked her and began to take small portions of many of the other dishes, except for the vegetarian dishes which were generally inedible to the feline. Stone made up for her as he took samples of almost everything, overfilling his plate. Being an omnivore he could eat just about anything but when she stopped and looked down at some tan colored brownies, the fox quickly intervened. "Hold on for a moment," he called to her and then turned and yelled over to a beefy looking lynx in a pink sweatshirt and jeans. "Terry, are these your health bars?"

"They sure are Stoney," the bobcat called back. "They have chia seeds for your digestion, turmeric for your joints, and nip to relax you!"

"That's what I figured," Stone laughed as he took one from her paw and put it back on the plate. "Sweetheart, you might want to pass on those, keeping up with a stoned playful cat during the movie might be more then I can handle tonight."

"They really have catnip in them? Isn't that illegal?"

"Only on the other side of the strait," the fox laughed as he escorted her to a seat. "This is Seaside and we have different rules over here."

They were quickly joined by a couple of raccoons in flannel shirts. "I'd like to introduce you to our local poultry farmers Betty and Bubba, they saved my skin back before Thanksgiving," Stone said as they sat down. "You probably saw that one of the camper's windows was cracked and repaired with duct tape, that's because a blue heron tried to peck its way inside."

"I remember you told me about that!" Karen giggled. "What did you do with the bird?"

"We done ate it for Thanksgiving dinner," Bubba answered her as he grinned while pouring them both glasses of mulberry wine from the crock he was holding. "Heron don't make the best meal though, even deep-fried with sweet potatoes and apples."

After everyone had helped put away the leftovers and cleaned up the dishes, they prepared for the movies. Instead of finding a seat, they threw open a closet and began handing out various sized mats, pillows, and blankets. "This really is a sleepover," Karen giggled as she helped Stone move a large chair over the spot he had selected. He pushed a mat and several pillows under the chair and then took a large blanket and draped it over the top making a small tent-like structure.

"Privacy," he told her with a grin. He wasn't the only one to do that with a chair or table and the social hall soon looked like a little tent camp.

She crawled under and he was about to join her when the others began to chant "Stoney! Stoney! Stoney!"

"A speech is expected from our esteemed mayor!" the sheriff called out.

With a sigh, Stone jumped up on the stage and looked around giving everyone the most distinguished look he could muster. "My fellow citizens!" he began in a haughty voice. "We have gathered here tonight for a solemn occasion…" a well-aimed pillow put an end to his brief political career as everyone laughed and booed as he retreated back to his makeshift tent.

"I think I have been impeached," he dramatically called out as he slipped under the blanket.

"After those words of wisdom, we are ready for tonight's first movie, in which Mayor Kole is one of the stars," Fishbait announced. "Oh and Stoney, this being an artistic community we are not showing a bootleg copy of the movie. We would never dream of stealing someone's artistic work, I will let you know that we are now a somewhat licensed movie theater."

Stone stuck his head out from under the chair. "Good!" he barked. "Because I would insist you all pay me my residual, if I had any due…which I don't."

A pillow swished by his head and he responded by sticking his tongue out at the teenage seal who threw it at him. "Really mature fox," the cat giggled as she grabbed his legs and pulled him back under the chair. When the lights went out and a cartoon about a coyote chasing a roadrunner began, the fox began squirming. "What's wrong?"

"I need to do something," Stone replied and began to sniff around as he turned three times in a circle before settling down. "Better!"

"What are you doing?" the cat giggled as she snuggled closer to him.

"It's a canid thing. A new place, I couldn't get comfortable," he answered with a shrug of his thin shoulders.

After the cartoon, _Beach SpyJinks_ was shown. Not having seen the movie before, Stone soon realized who bad the movie would have been if it had not been recut and released as a comedy, it was hilarious. Then the scene came on with him, Cooper, and Reggie standing with their backs to the camera looking at the sea.

"Where's your shirt?" Mabel yelled out.

"The director wanted to show off our sexy bodies," the fox yelled back and everyone laughed.

"Hey!" Karen objected. "I think he's sexy!"

"Of course you do, they say love is blind and you need glasses," Big Al wryly replied and everyone laughed again.

They applauded and cheered when the surfing scenes came on and again when the movie ended, as Stone stood up and bowed to their cheers. "You had what, ten minutes of camera time in the almost two hours?" the sheriff called to him.

"Hey, I've got a speaking part in the sequel!" Stone called back.

It was intermission, which gave everyone a chance for a bathroom break and to serve up popcorn, along with sodas. The second movie wasn't _Beach Blanket Bimbos_ , but an old classic called _Beach Bunnies._ It didn't take long for the cat to fall asleep and the fox yawned a few times before he snuggled closer and joined her.

It was morning when he felt their blankets shake and he looked out to see Fishbait staring down at him. "Morning lovers," he chuckled. "You two were sleeping so peaceful that we didn't have the heart to wake you up. Ben is here with the SUV and we've already loaded your bikes and some coolers with leftovers into the back."

"Thanks," Stone mumbled, he wasn't fully awake and Karen was still sound asleep. "You should have awakened us when everyone else left, I'm sorry to be in the way."

"Church isn't until Sunday fox!" the possum laughed. "If you two slept that long, we'd be worried."

Karen stretched and sat up, shaking herself awake. "What time is it?" she asked. "I'm sorry we overslept."

"Just past eight," Fishbait replied and she thanked him. As she made her way towards the bathroom, the possum added, "The villagers really like her Stoney and you two make a great pair, too bad they don't realize that on the other side of the strait. Ben said a couple of reporters are on the morning ferry, so you two watch yourselves and call the sheriff if they trespass onto your campsite."

Stone sighed as he picked up and put away the blankets, pillows, and the pad. "I was hoping they wouldn't find us over here, but I'm not surprised."

"As I said, call us if you need us," the possum repeated.

* * *

 **Author's note: Stone and Cooper were trapped inside their camper by a predatory blue heron in** ** _Zootopia: Stone Kole in Hang Ten!, Chapter 17: Big Bird Attacks._**


	7. The Naked Truth

**Chapter 7: The Naked Truth**

* * *

 **Things go awry for our two young lovers.**

* * *

 _With clammy paws, they dragged him into the back of the cavern and chained him to the floor. He struggled against his bonds, but to no avail and he cursed the day that he came to this hell-spawned island to bury his treasure. "Twas an ill wind that blew me into your arms," he called out to her. She just laughed as she stirred her potion and began to cast a spell._

* * *

The two reporters stood in front of the sheriff, who glanced from the computer and then over at the much smaller mammals. "We're with the press and you have no right to tell us we can't go out to Kole's campsite!" the groundhog in a dark blue two-piece suit complained as he scratched the brownish-gray fur on his cheek and then nervously adjusted his blue tie. The taller black and white striped skunk in the beat-up old jeans and a blue sweatshirt just leaned back and let his colleague do the talking.

"All I'm saying is that you have to have the proper permits to go into that area," the walrus in the tan uniform shrugged. "As for your rights, this is Seaside and not the city. We have our own rules and laws over here."

"But that's not right!" the reporter whined. "I want to talk to the county commissioner!"

"Sure and he'd love to talk to you too when he gets back home from his latest job."

"Where is he? We'll go to see him now."

"Mary, where is Commissioner Bowhead?" the walrus yelled into the next room.

"Somewhere off the coast of Lesser Amir, I think?" the petite seal called back. "He's got that towing contract."

"Your county commissioner is a whale?" the reporter asked. "How can your commissioner be a sea mammal?"

"This county just doesn't end at the seashore," the walrus snapped back as he stood up and towered over the smaller mammals. "That is a very close-minded terrestrially bigoted statement, what do you have against aquatic mammals?"

The groundhog's ears reddened. "Nothing! It's just that it's unusual," he stammered. "I mean…well, I have a deadline and I need to speak to Mister Kole."

"As I said, you'll need a permit to go into that area of the county. There are reports of unexploded ordinance all around that place leftover from the last big war some seventy years ago and it is closed to the public. No permits, no entry! I'm going to have my deputy escort you back to the ferry or the county line, so you don't do something stupid and get your head blown off."

As the tall uniformed bear ushered to two reporters out of the office, Mary looked into the room. "Unexploded ordnance?" she laughed. "You haven't used that one in years."

"We did find that mine which floated onto the shore up that way," the walrus objected as he gave her a big grin.

"That was not a mine! That was just an old round sea buoy that everyone thought was a mine and you had fun blowing it up!

"Well I did have signs put all around the area that warns of unexploded ordinance," the walrus added as he continued to surf the internet, looking for stories about Hopps and Wilde.

Down the road at their homestead, Karen closed the refrigerator and stepped out of the camper. "We now have plenty to eat!" she called over to the fox who was inside the shower hut hooking the water supply to the copper pipes of the propane heater.

"That's nice and now that I have everything hooked up, how about a nice long and hot shower?" he called back.

"Do I need a shower? I guess so since I smell like I've been sleeping with a fox!"

"Gee thanks!" he yelled from inside the shower hut. "I just wanted to play with the water heater."

"Only the water heater, is that all you want to play with?"

"No…not just the water heater," he admitted with a chuckle. He took his clothes off and turned on the water, adjusting its flow to warm. A few moments later, she joined him in the shower.

"Now I will confront the fox when he gets out of the camper," the reporter told his cameriamammal. "This is my big chance to break into becoming a news reporter and just doing the weather reports, so just keep filming no matter what happens, okay?"

The skunk nodded as he shouldered his camera and focused on the camper's doorway. The groundhog lifted his paw to knock on the door, but there was giggling and a door behind them slammed. The skunk swung his camera around and his jaw dropped at the sight of a very naked and very sexy sand cat being chased by an equally naked fennec fox as they ran out of the worn grey building. "Holy shit!" he mumbled.

Karen was shocked as she saw the two strangers with a camera and tried to turn to run back towards the shower hut, but she stumbled and fell muzzle first onto the ground. "Turn that off!" Stone snarled as he leapt towards the camera, trying to knock it away from filming them. "You're trespassing."

"Mister Kole, what are your comments about the Purity Law?" the reporter asked with a grin. "Why are you hiding out here in Seaside?" The fox 's punch was his answer, but he was too late because the whole thing had already been broadcasted.

* * *

Finn looked over at Nick and his friend looked tired. "Shit Wilde, you look like you need to sleep for a month!" he commented to the larger fox.

The red fox didn't answer but sat up straight as if he saw something. "Finn, look!" he said as he pointed over at the television behind the bar. "Isn't that Stone and Karen?"

The fennec fox looked up at the image being broadcast. That was definitely his son with his girlfriend and they were stark naked, although the station did pixel out their private parts. Then the camera panned in on the fox's snarling teeth and the punch he gave the groundhog.

 _"Showing his fangs and assaulting a reporter…"_ the news anchor droned on.

 _"Sheriff charged the reporter and his cameriamammal with trespassing…"_

 _"No charges against Mister Kole…"_

 _"Mister Kole refused to make a public statement…"_

Finn's ears went flat and he emitted a low growl, "I'll hunt that SOB down and bite his face off!"

"That is one cute cat!" someone commented down the bar and Finn's ears shot up. Nick's paw held him down as he tried to get off the stool.

"I think that the fox should be left alone," another voice said. "This is getting stupid. So he's a fox and she's a cat, who cares?"

"It's just unnatural!" a fat beaver in a blue city maintenance worker's uniform spoke up. "They should throw those two perverts in prison."

Finn shook off Nick's paw and hopped up onto the bar, he stomped his way over to the beaver who was twice his size. "That is my son you're dissing!" he growled.

"So what are you going to do about it?" the beaver laughed. "Bite me on my ankle?"

The beer bottle was almost as large as the fox, but Finn swung it with enough force to break it across the beaver's head and then he pounced. A few hours later he was released from jail because the beaver was too embarrassed to press charges and admit he was beaten up by the much smaller fox.

* * *

Mabel brought Stone a beer as he and Karen sat at the bar, it had been a long afternoon and most of it had been spent talking with the studio's public relations department. His phone rang and he gave the cat a concerned look before he answered. "Mister Rock…Rip…yeah, I know…the paw still hurts some, his head was like a stone…keep my wrists what?...do what?...really?...Oh, yeah I'll tell her that right away…thanks!"

Karen looked over at him. "So did you get canned?" she asked.

"No, but he gave me some advice on how to hit someone without hurting my paw. Oh and he said that you look really good without your clothes on and wanted to know if you would consider a part in the new movie, although he also told me to remind you it is PG13 and you'll have to be dressed."

"Stoney that's not funny!" she snapped at him as her tail flicked in agitation. There was laughter from the other patrons inside the bar.

"Ah…Karen, he was serious about the job. He said that the PR guys are ecstatic over the whole thing. They are playing it up that we are just two young lovers trying to have their privacy and were ambushed by a trespassing reporter. That I defended your honor…we're the victims."

"So you didn't get fired? You were serious that he really wants me in the movie?"

"Yep, welcome to the life of a celebrity!" Stone laughed.

"You two can't stay at the campsite," Al interjected. "So you're staying upstairs above the bar, where the rest of us can keep an eye on you both."

"But what about all that food at the campground?" Karen asked. "It'll go bad!"

"Oh, we took care of that already," Al chuckled.

The paparazzi descended on the campsite in droves and they all anticipated the money-making photo of the fox and cat, but instead, they were greeted by an angry male raccoon in ragged blue jean overalls, chewing on a fish head and firing rock salt from his shotgun at the trucks.


	8. The Love Boat

**Chapter 8: The Love Boat**

* * *

 **Karen and Stone met up with their friends aboard Rip Rock's yacht.**

* * *

" _Life is cruel," she commented as she stirred the pot. "But the afterlife can be worse!" He struggled against the chains that held him inside the cave as she knelt next to him and tore his shirt open. Dipping her paw into the liquid that she held in a wooden bowl, she drew the sign of the hex upon his fur. The liquid began to sting and he could not help but cry out in pain and then he growled at her. With a laugh, she reached for a blade._

* * *

Sleeping in the old drafty room above the bar wasn't either Stone or Karen's idea of romantic, but the rickety bed was soft and there were plenty of comforters. Still, the large-eared fox was embarrassed to learn from the comments being made below that the bed's squeaking could be heard downstairs in the bar by the patrons and so they refrained from their in-bed activities until after the bar closed. The other drawback was they couldn't go outside to enjoy the surf.

"It's just for a few more days and then you're going to have to go back over to the city to catch a boat to the islands," Al reminded them. They sat in the bar and watched the television reports about Nick and Judy's hearing, it had dragged on for several days now and the city council had not yet voted on either changing the law or leaving it in place. The courts were no faster and the lawsuit against the city was on the docket for a preliminary hearing sometime in the fall.

"When you get back to the city, move fast and get aboard the yacht before anyone can serve ya'll papers," Fishbait drawled out. "I reckon that the city would like to slap you with a subpoena and parade ya'll in front of them just so they look like they're up and doing something productive. The boat will be out of their jurisdiction once out of the harbor."

"We're supposed to attend a party the night before we set sail, a big PR stunt," Stone sighed.

"Then I reckon ya'll are screwed," the possum shrugged.

Days later they waited at the pier for the ferry to arrive. Stone looked over at Ben and gave the deputy a sad smile. "Well we're going to have to face our future now," he sighed as his paws stroked the cat's ears. "No more running." Karen's ears flattened and her tail nervously twitched.

"Yo, you Stone Kole?" a voice called from a fancy looking motor launch that pulled up to the pier. Stone looked a saw a couple of seals in red and white striped shirts. They certainly didn't look like reporters.

"Yeah, who are you?" He called back as the motorboat approached closer to the pier.

"We're members of Rip's crew," the seal yelled back. "We're here to take you over to the ship."

"I thought we were supposed to meet everyone on the city pier?" the fox asked as he caught the rope that the seal had tossed to him.

"The ship is moored outside of the city harbor. The skipper said something about the boss wanting to be outside of the city's jurisdiction for some reason."

"That reason must be me! This is embarrassing that everyone has to go out of their way because of my problem."

"Hey, it was worth it just to watch you deck that idiot on television," one of the seals laughed as he stepped up on the dock and grabbed their bags. Then he offered a flipper to help Karen aboard the rocking boat.

A few minutes later, they roared out to sea towards the other side of the strait and about an hour later a huge luxury yacht came into view in the far distance, gleaming white in the cloudless blue sky and deeper blue waters. Stone stood up and looked at it in awe, he had seen many fine ships in the harbor at Sandy Cove but few could rival the one which was their destination. Several stories tall and with a clipper bow, the ship defined elegance and opulence.

"She's the Auroch," one of the crew mammals called over to him. "Rip named her after the ancestor of all bovines. She was launched in the thirties as a royal yacht for the King of Karst. The boss bought her cheap on the market and modernized her. The Auroch may not be the largest luxury yacht, but she's one of the finest.

"How could she not be the largest? She's huge!"

"Nope, not even in the top twenty. But besides the boss's stateroom, there are a dozen guest suites, a huge Jacuzzi, massive cinema, and of course one hell of a gymnasium, she's also got a cool inflatable slide.

The ship was surrounded by smaller boats loaded with paparazzi. As they drew closer, several of the boats veered towards them only to be intercepted by a pair of large orcas. The crewmammal put the launch into full speed and the quickly slipped between the huge killer whales and pulled into the ship's aft. "Holy crap!" Stone mumbled as he looked up and around at the ship.

"Yeah, the boss likes his ship," one of the deckhands commented. "He lives aboard it all year. His last wife tried to take it from him during their divorce, but she lost."

"How many times has Mister Rock been married?" Karen asked.

"Only four times," the seal shrugged. "Not bad for someone in show business, but I swear that some of those actors and actresses collect ex-mates by the pawful."

As they sailed up to the aft deck, a sea otter about twice their size in a white jacket and black pants greeted them, "Good afternoon to you both," he bowed. "I am Steven, the chief steward and welcome aboard the Auroch. Mister Rock and the skipper asked that I get you two settled into your room, your luggage has already arrived and has been stowed away."

Karen and Stone followed the otter up into a long hallway of polished mahogany wood with a deep blue plush runner. The wool rug was soft to their hindpaws. "We have converted one of the suites for you and your friends to share since we have a full ship. The room has been divided into three smaller rooms with appropriate sized furniture to make your trip more comfortable. I'm sorry that the bathroom fixtures might be a little large for you, but we have adjusted what we could. "

"Cocktails are a four on the upper deck, dress casual and until then, please relax and take some time to enjoy yourselves," the purser said as he opened the door and the fox looked around at the grander. The room had been subdivided with partitions that securely locked into place and if he hadn't been told that they were temporary, he would have no idea that they were not built into the ship. The bed was a tad oversized for the two smaller mammals, but the desk, chest of drawers, and chairs were all appropriately sized.

"Stoney you need to see this bathtub!" Karen called out. He walked down a short back hallway that connected all three rooms until he entered the huge room. There were a stool and a booster seat over the toilet, which was fortunate because it was large enough for him to drown in if he had slipped. Karen was standing next to an enormous bathtub the size of a swimming pool, there was even a ladder hung on the edge to help them get in and out of the porcelain tub.

He looked at her and she arched her brows. "Bubble bath!" they both said together.

"Not until I take a wiz mate!" Cooper said from the doorway. Stone looked over at the smiling wallaby and ran over to give him a hug. "Missed you too Stoney, but get out of here so I can bloody well piss."

Leaving the wallaby to do his thing in the bathroom, Stone and Karen went back to their assigned space in the subdivided room. There was a knock on the suite's door and the fox heard Billy answering. "Good afternoon, I'm Sheri with the studio's public relations department and I was wondering if Mister Kole was available?" a very feminine voice asked.

Stone stepped out of the room and looked up at the attractive slim antelope who was standing in the doorway, she was wearing a rather small skirt and a simple white blouse and she smiled as she saw him. "Mister Kole, the bosses asked me to get you and Miss Catspaw for a photoshoot on the upper deck," she said. "In your closet is a teal sleeveless tee-shirt with the movie's logo on its back and a pair of shorts, there is also a yellow and black striped sundress for Miss Catspaw to wear."

"We're going to be seen together in public?" Stone asked in surprise. "I was under the impression we were trying to avoid the press."

"Of course, it will be good for both the movie and your career," the antelope laughed. "Let the paparazzi know you two aren't ashamed to be seen together."

"I'm not ashamed to be seen with Stoney!" Karen snapped as she joined them. "Why would anyone think that?"

"It just a rumor that has popped up on the social websites," Sheri sweetly answered. "So let's put those rumors to rest."

"We'll join you up there," Cooper added as he walked over and slipped his arm over Billy's shoulder. "Let's give them something to talk about."

"Sure guys, you four can just make me look like the desperate one!" a voice sarcastically called from the hallway and Reggie slipped into the room. "Maybe I can hold up a sign that says girlfriend needed or wear a tee-shirt that says lonely."

They changed clothes and followed the antelope down the hallway towards the stairs. Stone was wearing the teal shirt with the movie logo and tan cargo shorts. He had to admit that the sundress made Karen look really sexy, the yellow and black dress showed off her body and the black stripes on her arms and tail. Cooper was wearing a blue and red gingham checkered shirt and shorts, Billy had on a blue tee shirt with his favorite restaurant logo on it and a pair of jeans. Reggie however, was dressed in a simple red sleeveless shirt with a surfboard company logo and a pair of old shorts.

When they reached the top deck, they saw a group of mammals sitting on sofas and chairs. Rock was in the middle of the group and the muscular bull stood up when he saw that they had arrived, smoothing the front of his simple white cotton shirt and khaki pants. "Ah there are my surfers!" he called out in his accented voice. "Come over there and we'll talk about this so-called accidental photo shoot."

"Accidental?" Reggie scoffed. "I'm sure you guys have this all planned out."

"Of course we do," a warthog in a blue cotton shirt and black slacks replied. He stood and looked over at Stone and Karen. "Not bad Sheri! A nice casual look for an afternoon on the deck, you were right about the sundress. Now, we want Stone and Karen to climb up the ladder to the bridge, followed by Rip just behind them. Everyone will then stop just before you reach the top and then, Rip, I want you to act like you're pointing at something in the city. Karen, you'll need to watch the wind with that dress on because we don't want a repeat of Seaside, everyone has seen too much of your fur."

"Hey!" Stoney snapped. "That's not funny."

The warthog just smiled at his protest and turned towards the others. "While they are doing that I would like Cooper and Reggie to go up to the ship's bow and look around," he continued. "Reggie, you go with them, I know you can play it up, so wave at the press…oh and lose the shirt, let them see your body."

"Just another pretty face," the meerkat dramatically sighed as he pulled off his tee-shirt. He jumped some when Sheri began combing his fur with a brush she had pulled out of a bag that she was carrying. "You want me to lose the shorts too? That'll give them something to print!" The antelope laughed and gently whacked him on his tail with the brush.

Moments later as they climbed the ladder, Stone could swear he heard cameras clicking in the distance. About halfway up, they stopped and looked back at Rip as the bull pointed at something in the direction of the city. "Now when we get to the top, you two kiss!" the actor said.

"Are you sure?" Karen asked.

"Look, you two show them what love looks like," the bull laughed. "Poke those bigots in the eye!"

They reached the top of the ladder and Rip went into the bridge. Stone sighed and slipped his arms around Karen's waist. "You ready for the money shot?" he asked.

"Just kiss me, fox," she giggled and leaned into his kiss.

Within hours the tabloids were calling the yacht the love boat, as photos of Stone and Karen kissing, along with Cooper snuggling into Billy's arms were splashed online.

"The fifth wheeler!" Reggie grumbled. "The sad single surfer is what they are calling me!"

"Not on you fan sites," Sheri replied as she walked over to the computer.

"I have a fan site?" Reggie excitedly yelled and he ran to join her.

"Gods, we will never hear the end of this," Stone groaned.

"Just don't let him find out that you have over a dozen fan sites," Cooper snickered.


	9. Glamorous Intent

**Chapter 9: Glamorous Intent**

* * *

 **A star-studded party goes awry when someone takes potshots at our hero.**

* * *

" _I thought you weren't going to kill me?" he cried out as she held the blade over this chest. She didn't answer but plunged the knife into his chest and through his ribs. There was a pain unlike any he could have ever imagined as she sawed into his body and then plunging her filthy paw into the bloody hole, she tore something out. He gaped as he looked at what she held before his eyes, it was his own still-beating heart. "You broke my heart, so I took yours!" she laughed._

* * *

He really hated having to dress up for a party, especially once again in a tuxedo. Wardrobe had obtained the fox and his two male friends tuxedos and a black silk dress for Karen, which he had to admit that it made her look really sexy. The dinner party was full of guests ranging from studio executives and their wives or "friends", financial and business types, to more "A" list movie stars. But after a while, he needed to find fresh air and slipped away from the crowd and onto the empty deck.

Stone Kole looked through the railing at the sea, being downwind he could smell the brine on the breeze and could hear the gentle lapping of the waves against the big ship's hull. He took a sip of the fruity drink he had been given and could taste the underlying flavor of spiced island rum. The server had called it Pirates Punch and it did have quite a "punch" to it. Setting the drink aside, he sighed as he loosened his bowtie and unbuttoned the heavy starched shirt collar. His ears shot up when he heard the soft tread of paws on the deck behind him. "I'll be right in honey," he said as he picked his drink up and began to turn around.

"That's okay darling," a feminine voice that was familiar, but definitely not Karen's reply.

He turned to face a gorgeous white-furred arctic vixen in a tight red dress. "You're Skye…I mean Ms. DePaw!" he stammered out in surprise.

"Please call me Sandra," she giggled. "So you are the fox that everyone has been talking about? I expected more surfer slang in your voice."

"Only for the fans," he laughed as he shook her paw. "But it's like totally awesome to meet you, babe!"

She giggled again and slipped up next to him by the railing. "You know they hold me and Sammy Thumperson partially responsible for this WildeHoops controversy. All those Savage movies and our on-screen romance ever since making _SavageSkyes_. A lot of mammals disapproved of a fox and a hare being romantically together, even if it is make believe."

"Gee, does that mean I can blame you for my current predicament?"

"Nope! But, I have to admire that you got away with punching that slimy reporter."

"That was the easy part. The hard part was keeping Karen from scratching his eyes out before the sheriff arrived."

"To ambush film her naked on private property and then air it without her permission was criminal. Sometimes the paparazzi hunt us, just hoping we'll make a mistake. We have no privacy anymore… but we all wanted their attention early in our careers didn't we?"

"I don't want their attention," the smaller fox sighed, his ears went flat and he looked back out at the sea. "I just want to surf."

"No dreams of a film career for you?" the white-furred fox asked as she looked down at him with a sad smile. "Then why are you doing this movie?"

"I thought it would be fun and it seemed like easy money, along with being able to surf on a tropical island. But, so far it has been a nightmare and has sort of ruined my life."

"You can just walk away," she suggested as she played with her drinks straw. "I've known others to do that, although your life will never be the same."

"I promised Rip and the guys that I do the movie. Then I'm done with the whole thing."

"Good!" the vixen said as she slapped her paw against the railing. "But I'll believe you when you do so. It's not that easy once fame gets into your blood."

"Yeah, I know I always liked being a surfing champion and all the excitement that goes with it like having others looking up at you and always wanting your photo or your autograph."

She bit her lip, trying not to laugh at his using the term "looking up at you" when he was just a little over half her size.

"Well we turn our backs on you for a just few minutes and find that you have run off with the prettiest lady at the party," Reggie called out as the rather dashing looking meerkat in his tuxedo joined them. "What will poor Karen think about this?"

"Reggie, this is Sandra," Stone chuckled.

The small surfer took the vixen's paw and lifted it to his lips. "Enchanted Miss Skye, would you like a martini…shaken, not stirred?"

"Nice try cutie, but not even close to Mister Savage's voice," the vixen giggled. "Are you sure he's a meerkat and not a wolf?"

"Ah, your sarcasm is like a dull knife piercing my very heart!" Reggie mockingly sighed as he put his paws over this heart. "We meerkats have a renowned reputation for being suave lovers."

Both the vixen and the fennec fox bust out laughing at him.

"Alas, my love is spurned," the meerkat dramatically continued, this time he put his paw to his forehead. "To be so close to an angel and yet denied the very taste of her heavenly delights is more than this one soul can truly bare."

"This one has a future in the film industry," Sandra giggled. "Now cutie, let's get me that martini you promised while you tell me all about your unquenchable desire for me."

Stone shook his head and smiled as he watched the sexy but much taller vixen walk away paw in paw with the handsome meerkat. "It'll never work," he called out. "Hukuna Matata!" He looked back towards the doorway into the cabin and saw Karen standing there, the black dress accented her curvy figure and the black stripes on her arms and tail. He sighed to himself when he realized how lucky he was to have her as his lover.

"What's with the bedroom eyes, fox?" she softly asked as she stepped into his arms. "I saw you with that vixen."

"Jealous?"

"Maybe."

"Don't be because this fox only loves you," he said as he cupped her chin and lifted it. Their noses met and he looked into her green eyes.

"You love me?"

"Yes, only you," he answered and then they passionately kissed. At first, he thought it was their kiss, but then he realized that the fireworks were coming from a platform that had been towed to the leeward side of the ship.

"You got to admit that Mister Rock really knows how to throw a party," he told her as they held paws and turned to join Reggie and Sandra, who were also watching the aerial display. There was a whizzing sound that passed his ear and at first, he thought it was from the fireworks, but then he saw that the glass in front of him suddenly had a circular crack.

"What was that?" Karen gasped in surprise and as Stone turned, something hit and splinted the railing in front of them.

"Someone is shooting at us!" he yelled and pulled the cat down onto the deck. "Get down!"

Another bullet hit the doorway above them as he pushed it open and crawled inside. "Help!" Karen screamed out, but the fireworks were too loud for anyone to hear her cries.

The fox pushed her further inside and then leapt up and pulled the fire alarm on the wall. The klaxon alarm began to sound and he heard the tread of hoofs and paws running towards them. "Get down, there's a shooter out there somewhere," he called out.

"Lights! Get the damn inside lights out and turn the spotlights onto the water," Rip bellowed over the confusion as he switched the room's lights out. The alarm cut off and the ship's external lights came on illuminating the armada of small boats around them.

"The coast guard is on their way!" the purser called out and Stone could see the blue flashing lights of a boat heading towards them and then several orcas from the city's harbor patrol breached the waters around the ship.

"Ahoy, all boats heave to!" a voice called out over a loudspeaker. "Auroch, permission to board!"

"Well ladies and gentlemammals, it looks like it's going to be a long night ahead of us!" the bull sighed. "Cocktails anyone?"

About an hour later, the coast guard cutter was joined by a couple of police motorboats and one pulled up to the ship. Stone sat on a sofa with Karen curled against him and Cooper was sitting on his other side. Billy stared out the window and watched as the police begin to search the boats. There was a commotion as several uniformed officers entered the room and began to spread out their equipment. "CSI team," he heard a voice say to him and he looked up to see a boar standing there in a crumpled blue suit and white shirt, his red and green tie was loosely drawn. "I'm Detective Hamilton Mudd and you must be Mister Kole."

Stone stood and shook his hoof. "So Mister Kole, do you have any idea why someone would shoot at you?"

"I'm all over the freaking news brah! A fox who's a cat lover, someone doesn't like me for that."

"Possibly? Are you involved with drugs or anything else, maybe a little gambling or something like that? What about sports rivals?"

"None that I know who would want me dead, I mean Reggie and that new guy…ah…you know the mongoose Bonaparte, are my only real competition."

"Miss Southpaw, I'm so sorry to have to ask you this, but do you have any former or current boyfriends who might be mad at Mister Kole?" the detective said. "Sand cat tomcats do have a reputation for being jealous."

"Of course I don't!" Karen hissed. "Stone is the only male I've been with and I have never catted around in my life!"

The captain interrupted the detective and Stone's ears drooped as he listened to the captain argue with the detective and the Coast Guard officer.

"We're in international waters…"

"Admiralty law…"

"But the shots may have come from city waters…"

"Return to the port of an investigation…"

"Mister Kole is a citizen of the city…"

"No I'm not!" the fox interjected as he crossed the room and looked up at the pig. "My legal residence is in Seaside."

"Really, I just assumed you were born in Zootopia?" the detective stated. I know your brother and he is or was a city resident before he was incarcerated."

"Stone is even the village's mayor," Karen added as she joined them. "Well, kind of the mayor."

"I thought that Seaside was unincorporated? How could you be its mayor?"

"It's still incorporated, the residents just sort of disbanded the government," the fox answered with a shrug. Then it dawned on him that he was really the town's mayor. "I mean they didn't do anything legally, they just stopped having a formal city government."

"I don't think you can just do that," the captain chuckled. "Anyways, this ship was in international waters at the time she was shot at and so Maritime Law makes it the responsibility of the ship's registered nation to investigate and that is Saint Sylvester Island."

"Saint Sylvester's is a three day trip from here!" the detective objected. "They don't have the experience that the ZPD has to investigate shootings."

"They are still the ship's national registration," the sea lion in the blue coast guard uniform pointed out. "The city would treat this as an assault with a deadly weapon, Maritime Law leans towards attempted piracy."

"We don't have a law in the books for piracy. What is the penalty for piracy in Saint Sylvester?"

"The law hasn't changed in centuries, but the last trail was in 1818. So I guess it still is a hanging offense?"

"So even if the shooter was in city waters, he or she would have to be transferred over for a fair trial on Saint Sylvester," the coast guard office added. "To be tried as attempted piracy."

"So what's your decision captain?' Rip Rock asked as he joined them. "It may be my ship, but you're the captain and I'll leave it in your flippers to decide."

The seal looked over at the broken glass and then down at the fox. "Look, detective, I don't want to cut the ZPD from out of the investigation, but Mister Kole is safer aboard my ship then he would be ashore," the pig started to object, but the seal held up his flipper. "I'm turning this over to the authorities in Saint Sylvester, I'm sure they will want your assistance, but for now they have jurisdiction."

The pig grunted as he threw his hoofs up in the air, "It's your call captain, but at least let the CSI team finish their work and help your crew preserve the crime scene."

The seal nodded before he turned to return to the bridge.

"Bogo's going to skin me," the detective sighed.

"I doubt that," the coast guard officer chuckled. "But I'm glad it's you and not me that will have to tell him!"

The ship floated idly for the remainder of the night as the police continued their investigation and as the justification specifics were worked out. Finally, just after breakfast, a police launch arrived with two passengers, police officers who had been dispatched as liaisons.

"Chief Bogo wanted them out of the city until things cool down," the captain told Rip as they looked down at the two cops. "Their suspensions may have been dropped, but there are still lingering tensions ashore. I understand the rabbit was the one who solved the missing mammal case and also brought Bellwether to justice for infecting those poor mammals with that toxin that made them go savage."

The actor grunted as he watched the uniformed rabbit climb onto the ship and then turn to grab the fox's paw. "This should be interesting."


	10. WildeHoops

**Chapter 10: WildeHopps**

* * *

 **Stone first saw, but did not meet, Nick and Judy in Chapter 1 of** ** _Zootopia: Stone Kole in Hang Ten!_** **, when the two cops came to pick up a briefcase full of cash that washed up onto the shore. He didn't actually meet them until** ** _Chapter 7: The Darkside of the Beach_** **, when Judy was trying to get Stone to tell her if he had witnessed a fight between some local surfers and a few young coyotes. Because Nick is his father Finnick's best friend, the little fox got to know the bigger fox better.**

* * *

 _The pirate gaped at his bloody heart as she took it and held it over the fire. "I think I need that luv," he called over to her. "Can't we parley and talk about this, maybe over a bottle or two of rum?" He was surprised that he felt no pain in his chest and couldn't understand how he could talk when he wasn't breathing. He watched as she held the heart over the boiling liquid and then dropped it with a splash into the boiling cauldron. "Well that was bloody mean!" he snapped at her._

* * *

That afternoon, the fennec fox sat at the table and looked over at the rabbit dressed in a checkered pink cotton shirt and blue shorts. Sitting next to her was a red fox in a light blue Short Sleeve Guayabera shirt and khaki pants. "So are you going to lie to me again?" Officer Judy Hopps asked him in a menacing voice, at least as menacing as a rabbit could sound. "Like you did on the beach the day of the fight?"

His ears flattened and he could feel his tail bristle. "Sure it's easy for you cops to come in and lecture us that we must tell you what we saw and assure us that you'll get the bad guys," he scoffed. "Then you pack up and head back to the station leaving us with a reputation as a snitch, do you have any idea how badly they treat a snitch?"

"It was just a fight!" the rabbit snapped back. "We can't do our job without cooperation from the citizens and you know that!"

"Yeah, but their buddies live on The Strand," Stone huffed back. "Don't you think they wouldn't have come after me for turning them in? I can hold my own against any mammal my size, but what chance would have I fighting a bull or a wolf? I also had to think about Cooper, Reggie, my mom, and Karen. They could have been bullied by the gang.

"Life is never easy," Nick smoothly cut in. The rabbit's ears drooped, but her anger seemed very evident in the way she looked and her scent. "Stone was right, we didn't need his testimony."

"But we never caught the attackers!" Judy grumbled. "They escaped justice."

"No, justice was served that night," the red fox replied. His paw reached over and touched his partner's shoulder. "Charges were never filed by the coyotes and they came to an understanding with the surfers, no one else got hurt."

"I'm sorry," Stone sighed as he looked down at his paws that were in his lap. He ears twitched and he had a pained look on his face. "I did what I thought was the safest thing to do, never get involved because I'm a fox and who would believe me anyways? Just a fox…"

"That sure sounds familiar, doesn't it Carrots?" Nick cut him off with a laugh. "Didn't Chief Bogo say something similar that night in the Rainforest District all those years ago? _You think I'm going to believe a fox?_ I believe were his exact words."

Amethyst eyes met jade eyes and the rabbit seemed to relax. "Okay, that's the past, but we're here to figure out who would want Stone Kole dead?"

"It's because I'm a fox!" Stone huffed out again in agitation. "I'm a fox in love with a cat. Why do you cops always ask the same thing over and over?"

"Because the obvious isn't always the right answer," Nick replied. "We have to look at this crime from all angles."

"Okay, you know me, fox," the fennec fox sighed as he began counting down on his paws. "First, I'm a four-time small board surfing champ. Second, I've got very little cash. Third, I'm in love with a sand cat. Forth, my brother is in jail. Fifth, my father is a street hustler. Sixth, my mother is a motel maid. Seventh, I have a small role in a movie…."

"Stop!" Judy interjected. "Your brother is in jail for doing what?"

"Shaking down small mammal business owners in Sahara Square for the mob," Stone answered. "But he's still behind bars." As he looked over at the rabbit, he wanted to laugh because in all her professional business-like demeanor, she was holding a pen shaped like a carrot of all things. A bunny with a carrot pen, how cute! His eyes moved over to meet Nick's eyes, the larger fox was a close friend of his father's. The red fox was looking back at his with that half-lidded eyes and smirk on his muzzle, a sure sign that he was up to something.

"You do know Fluff, Junior here once beat up a reporter?" Nick asked his partner.

"Hey! I only punched him once and he was trespassing," Stone snapped back.

"And filming your naked girlfriend," the red fox added with a straight face.

"Nice try Slick," Judy triumphantly replied. "I knew that already and besides, I already checked on the whereabouts of that reporter. He was in the Meadowlands last night."

"But what about Karen?" Nick quickly interjected. "Maybe she…"

"Don't go there fox!" Stone growled as he jumped up on the chair and looked across at the larger red fox with his fangs showing. "Leave Karen out of this!"

"Okay, you two!" the rabbit suddenly laughed. "Nick, it took you long enough to get him to show his fangs, he's not at all like Finn with a bad temper."

The small fox plopped back onto the seat with a confused look. "You two were playing me?" he mumbled. "Really?"

"Actually we were doing a bit of both," Judy replied as she snapped closed her black notebook. "The thing is that we don't have much to work with, the bullets were fired from a .22 caliber rifle which wasn't recovered or found on the seabed. We're running background checks on all the reporters and photographers who were in boats that night, but so far nothing of interest related to this case. The photos so far haven't shown anything, so there's not been much to go on."

"Great, so I still have a target on my back?" Stone asked.

"Nick reached over and took Judy's paw in his. "Yeah, welcome to the club," he answered. "There are a lot of angry bigots out there who don't like us being together, so you better get used to it. I've been shot at not just because I love Judy, but because I'm a cop who's also a fox. We both know foxes who have been killed because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. "

"Like your father," Stone sighed. "My dad said that your father was killed when you were a young pup."

"They killed him and torched his shop," Nick sadly replied. "Because someone didn't like a fox becoming too successful, did Finn tell you they never really tried to catch his killer?"

Stone shook his head no and then gave a weak smile towards the cops. "So your finally getting to go to one of those tropical islands that dad said you always wanted to go to?" he asked, obviously trying to change the subject.

Nick rolled his eyes and laughed, "Finn never listens to me, he knows I want to go to Pawaii! Saint Sylvester is in the wrong ocean. "

"So if the shooter's gun wasn't in a boat or under the sea, what happened to it?" the meerkat asked as he paced through the room.

"Reggie has been watching old Charlie Chan movies mate," Cooper snickered. "Now he thinks he's a great detective."

The meerkat stopped and gave the wallaby a glare. "Someone wants Stoney dead and the question is who?"

"Well that's what those two cops are trying to figure out," Billy added as he sat down next to Cooper and took the other wallaby's paw in his.

"What if they are looking at this all wrong," Reggie said as he snapped his digits. "What if the shooter didn't want to actually hit Stoney, but just scare him?"

"Why would anyone want to do that?" Cooper scoffed.

"Oh I don't know?" the meerkat grumbled as he threw his paws in the air in frustration. "Does Karen have an old boyfriend or maybe one of Stoney's fans…hell it could even be a PR stunt for the movie!"

"Sure," Sheri giggled as she looked over at the meerkat. "What good would the killing one of the movie's minor characters do to enhance sales?"

"I don't know, maybe to get the movie into the news again?" Reggie sighed as he leaned against the arm of the chair the bigger antelope was sitting in.

She reached over patted him on the forehead before answering, "If that was the shooter's goal, why not wait until the filming is done and then kill the fox. That way everyone would want to see the film in which Stone Kole was murdered while making, it would draw a bigger crowd."

"I guess you're right!" the meerkat huffed. "This detective stuff is harder than it looks like in the movies."

"Besides if this movie doesn't live up to all the hype, it'll be the critics that murder you," Billy added.

"Thanks for the bloody support, lover!" Cooper sighed as he pulled the other wallaby into his lap and kissed his cheek. "You can be an arse sometimes mate!"

Everyone had gone to bed and the moon was covered by the clouds when the seal in the red striped crew shirt crept out onto the deck and climbed up into one of the lifeboats. He looked around before lifting the object packaged in black plastic and brought it down to the deck. Then leaning over the side, he let it fall into the ocean with a splash.

He slipped back into the ship and entered down the stairs toward the aft storeroom. "Did you take care of it?" she whispered out of the dark.

"Gone just like I promised," he answered. "So, where's my cash?"

The antelope handed him a wad of bills and turned to leave, walking back into the darkness. "Why did you have me do it?" he asked.

"Ratings, _Beach SpyJinks_ just went on pay for view and the ratings have soared since the news of the shooting," she laughed. "It's all about the bucks, isn't it?"

He ran his flippers through the wad of money and smiled before answering, "Yeah, I guess it is!'


	11. The Inspector

**Chapter 11: The Inspector**

* * *

 _She threw his heart into the boiling liquid and looked back at him. "Feeling better?" she laughed. Despite everything she had done to him, her sing-song island accent was like music to his ears. He frowned when he realized her voice was enchanted too and that was how she ensnared her victims._

" _Like the stories of the Sirens of old," he muttered more to himself than to her. "You call us from the sea into your devilish embrace?" She answered him with a sinister laugh._

* * *

"I could get used to this lifestyle!" Stone enthusiastically said as he swam across the crystal clear waters of the Jacuzzi and sat on one of the higher seats made for small mammals. He picked up and sipped his drink, shifting the small paper umbrella out of the way. They had been at sea for several days and there had been no more incidents, just fun under the sun with his friends.

Across from him Cooper was immersed in the bubbling hot waters with a smile on his face. The wallaby opened one of his eyes and called over to another wallaby who was sitting on a deck chair, "Billy, be a dear and bring me a bottle of water." The other hopper jumped up and walked over to the bar.

"Watch this," Stone snickered. "Hey Karen, could you get me a bottle of water too?"

The cat looked over at the fox and lowered her sunglasses before responding. "Get your own water, you lazy fox!" she giggled. "I'm not your maid and Billy quit pampering Cooper, you aren't his pool boy!"

"Ouch!" the fox laughed.

"I'm your pool boy?" the wallaby with the bottle of water asked his lover in the Jacuzzi as he slipped into the water next to him. He handed Stone a bottle of water and then opened the other and poured it out over Cooper's head. "Get your own water!" Cooper's mouth fell open in surprise and the other wallaby took that as an invitation to kiss him.

"Okay you two, get a room!" a sarcastic voice said and then the meerkat who had just spoke jumped into the water with a splash.

"Reggie, where have you been?" Stone asked as the slim meerkat in the blue shorts swam over toward the side of the tub.

"Online, reading my fansites!" Reggie replied with a grin. "You should read some of the things they write about you two!"

"No thank you," Stone chuckled. "I can just imagine."

"I wonder how Mister Rock manages all his sites?" Billy asked. "I mean he has to have a ton of them online."

"That's why he has a PR firm," Sheri answered as she looked up from her laptop. "We research trends and comments, both positive and negative, and when necessary intervene?"

"Intervene?" Bill replied. "What do you mean by that?"

"Use online trolls to redirect the conversations and comments," the antelope answered. "If something is trending in a negative manner, we go online as other users and spin the conversation towards the positive."

"Land ahoy!" the skipper's voice sounded over the ship's loudspeakers and everyone ran to the railings to look at the small dots on the horizon.

Stone peeked under the railings and saw the green and brown distant islands appearing in the blue waters ahead. "The largest one in the center is Saint Sylvester and to the left is Saint Katrina. That island to the right is Saint Mary or as they call it, the Isle of the Cursed," Rip said as he joined him.

"Why's it called that?" Stone asked. The fox's ears were standing straight up as he looked up at the much larger bull. "Why is it cursed?"

"They say an ancient voodoo queen is buried inside the volcano that is in the island's very center," Rip chuckled. "A cursed pirate's treasure is supposedly buried there too and that's why it is uninhabited and abandoned. He looked down at the wide-eyed fox who was staring up and him and laughed, "Stone, the real reason the island is not inhabited is that it has no fresh water on it and the ground is too porous to build retaining ponds. The government has talked about running pipes over to it, but they haven't done so as of yet due to the expenses."

"Oh!" Stone replied in a disappointed voice. "The curse sounds way more exciting."

"A true adventurer's heart you have my little friend!" the bull laughed. "Now come on we still have quite some time before we reach the harbor. Maybe you can help me talk those two cop friends of yours into being in the movie? The rabbit keeps reminding me that she and the fox are on duty, she wouldn't even let the poor guy have a piña colada last night."

Stone looked over at Judy and Nick, who were both looking over her notes that were neatly stacked on the inside dining table. Both of the officers were wearing their uniforms again today, a dark blue uniform with a matching tie. He remembered when he first met the rabbit she wore a light blue outfit with what looked like an armored vest, a far different outfit then she was currently wearing.

Slowly the ship drew closer to the islands and soon the little fox could make out the village named King's Bay, the waters were full of pleasure boats, sailboats, and yachts. Above the sea and the white sandy shoreline were the town's buildings, most were painted gaily bright colors, much like the village of Seaside, but with roofs were of brick red tiles. Past the town and sticking out among the green palm trees and jungle foliage on the side of the mountain, were several large white mansions belonging to the rich and famous. Stone looked at the island and his ears flattened because this may have once been paradise, but mammalkind had intruded up the tropical beauty by commercializing and exploiting nature's gifts into a playground for the wealthy and powerful.

In the center of everything and perched on top of a cliff above the town stood a brooding Seventeenth-Century fortress, stark gray and intimidating, but having long been abandoned from its original creation it was now crumbling and falling apart.

"Not exactly the tropical postcard view I was expecting," the fox sighed. "It's like The Strand, but with way more palm trees and no surf."

"This is only the leeward side of the island," the skipper commented as he joined him by the railing. "The windward side is less developed because it is not as protected from the elements and that is where you will find your best surf."

The seal slightly chuckled as the fox's ears shot up in anticipation. "I heard that Schooners Point has rad surf," Reggie added as he joined them. "A lot of action, but way too crowded."

"That's where the big waves are found," the captain agreed. "But for you guys, I would recommend Buccaneer's Landing since it has smaller surf that breaks fairly far out and will give you a grand ride towards the beach. You will find that it is less crowded and has a great beachside bar."

"I'll remember that," Stone said with a smile. "Good surf and a great bar, what else would a surfer need?"

"Beach bunnies and some awesome music," Reggie suggested.

"Permission from the local boys," the skipper replied. "But my cousin John owns the bar and after all, you are Stone Kole. I'm sure the guys will share the waves with you and your friends if you ask permission. As for music, its Reggae and not Calypso on that side of the island, we'll leave the Calypso for the tourist."

"So what happens now?" the thin meerkat asked. "When we get into port, you know with the investigation?"

"That my little surfer is a question that I don't have an answer for," the captain sighed. "But for now, it's time for me to return to the bridge and bring this tub into the harbor."

The two surfers watched the seal as he began to climb the ladder towards the bridge. "I know that you guys think I'm wrong, but I still say someone shot at you for only to promote the new movie!" Reggie suddenly said. "I haven't figured out what they did with the gun, but I will!"

Stone wanted to laugh at the determined look the meerkat gave him. It was quite obvious that Reggie believed his theory even though it didn't make any sense. "If you say so," he replied. "Let's just hope that was all it was."

"Just know Stoney that I have your back," the Reggie added. "No one messes with my friends."

"Thanks, brah!" the fox sighed.

* * *

Hours later the ship dropped anchor in the harbor and Karen joined Stone by the railings as they looked out over the assortment of restaurants, stores, and tourist shops that lined the waterfront. "That's a hell of a big castle," the cat commented as she looked up at the large grey stone ramparts. "It says in the brochure that the privateer Williams Ramsworth took it from the colonial governor in 1701 with an army of freebooters and pirates. They crossed the island during a hurricane and surprised the garrison. The brotherhood, as they called themselves, held sway over the island for almost twenty years before fleeing when a royal armada arrived.

Stone looked up at the mansions on the mountainsides, most were white and gleaming in the tropical sun. "So the island went to from being the playground of the old sea pirates to that of the new stock market pirates," he sadly commented.

A small motor launch puttered along the waters and approached the ship. In it, Stone could see that it carried a couple of white-uniformed sea lion police officers and a smaller mammal in an immaculate tan suit who looked somewhat like a brown rat.

"Inspector Samuel Whiskering," Rip grunted as he came over and joined them at the ship's railing. The large bull towered over the two lovers while he sipped on a pea-green power shake made from kale and only the gods only knew what else. "Of course they would assign the case to Samuel. He may be bitter and moody, but he is also brilliant. However, I'd hate to be Officer Wilde today!"

"Why's that?" Stone asked as he looked up at the large muscular bull.

"The only case that the Inspector failed to solve was a high priced jewelry robbery and he was outwitted by the thief, who was a red fox vixen. It was a rather sordid story of seduction and betrayal and since then he's had not only a very low regard for foxes, but also an evident dislike of them too." Stone's ears flattened and he groaned, causing Rip to chuckle. "I'm sure that because you are the victim, he won't take it out on you…I hope?"

The small inspector was pleasant enough to the fennec fox in a professional and brisk businesslike manner. "We will try to get this little matter investigated so everyone can go on their merry ways," he told Rip. "But first I would like to meet these two officers that Chief Bogo sent to act as liaisons."

Setting his briefcase down on a table, Inspector Whiskering greeted Officer Hopps with great courtesy. Stone and the others quickly noticed he didn't shake Officer Wilde's extended paw and almost ignored the larger red fox. Judy began to brief the hutia on what the ZPD found during their brief investigation and he nodded. After she finished and began to go through her notes, he held up his paw to stop her and asked, "Have you interviewed the crew and searched the ship for the weapon?"

"Why would we do that?" Nick interjected.

The hutia gave the fox a withering look and then seemingly chose to ignore him by continuing to talk only to the rabbit. "The gun was not found in a boat or on the seafloor near the ship," he summarized her report. "The ballistics, however, indicates that the shooter was closer than most of the surrounding boats. Furthermore, the angle of the shots also indicates that the gun had to be held very low to the water level. But there were no boats small enough to do so and also a mammal that small to be in a boat that size, would not have been able to handle the gun's recoil."

Whiskering walked away from the officers and towards the captain. "Considering the recoil and the trajectory, the shooter must have been a medium-sized mammal who was swimming in the water," he surmised. "The first shot was taken from the bottom of a wave's swell and the second from the top, with the third being below again."

"You mean our shooter was swimming while shooting?" Judy asked. The uniformed rabbit's nose began to twitch with frustration. "Of course, that explains a lot!"

"Since aquatic mammals don't have the fin arrangements necessary to shoot a firearm, we can only assume that we are looking for a sea lion, otter, or a seal," the Inspector continued. "The only such mammals in the area who were semi-aquatic are the members of the crew."

"So we need to establish the whereabouts of everyone aboard at the time of the shooting!" Nick enthusiastically said.

The small animal's ears twitched with agitation when the fox spoke. "My constables and I will need to interview everyone aboard," the hutia said to the captain as he turned away from the fox.

"What can we do to assist you?" Judy asked.

"Thank you for your offer Officer Hopps, but this is not your jurisdiction so I would recommend that you and your…associate…enjoy yourselves and please stay out of the way," the Inspector replied. Ignoring the now agitated rabbit and the fox, he turned back to the skipper. "If I recall correctly, this ship has a number of .22 caliber rifles in the arms locker."

"It does," the seal answered. "But I can't believe any of my crew was involved."

"Perhaps they were not, but as they say, let's leave no stone unturned," the Inspector answered with a shrug. "Now may we look at your inventory?"

It didn't take long for the captain to confirm that indeed one of the guns was missing and the inspector quickly had the crew line up to be interviewed. "So we have a missing rifle and the lock to the arms locker was rather crudely picked," the hutia said as he walked down the line of crewmammals. "Currently my constables are conducting a search of the crew quarters and right now this shooting is considered an act of piracy, a grave crime here on the islands. However, the party who did the shooting was either a very poor shot or was not attempting to kill Mister Kole. Maybe he or she was just trying to intimidate him with a deadly weapon? That very act is in itself a serious crime, but will not result in the gallows."

Stone heard as Nick leaned over and whispered into Judy ear, "They don't still hang pirates, do they?" The rabbit replied by placing a digit on her lips.

The Inspector stopped his pacing when his phone buzzed and he looked down at the message. "Ah, Mister Fishmonger," he said as he turned to face a nervous-looking seal. "It seems that you have quite a substantial amount of cash in your locker and not to mention a lock pick set."

"I won the money at the tables in Zootopia," the seal stammered. "The picks are my brothers!"

"That will be easy enough to confirm," the hutia sighed as he looked up at the larger mammal. "Considering the rather hefty debt you have at the casinos here on the island that must have been a very lucky run for you!"

The seal's eyes widened and he glanced around. Then he suddenly bolted towards the railing as fast as he could waddle, but before he could leap off the ship, he was tackled by the red fox.

"Nick!" Judy gasped as her partner struggled with the larger mammal. Several other crewmembers ran to the police officer's assistance and quickly subdued the other seal.

"But why did you do it?" the captain asked as he approached the seal. "Why?"

"The question should be who paid him?" Nick said as he stood up and wiped himself off. "Who would benefit from scaring Stone from being in the film?"

"No, the question is who would prosper from the publicity about the shooting," the Inspector interjected. "Perhaps because the shooting was at the same time when the first movie has gone to pay-for-view?"

"It wasn't me!" Rip blurted out.

"Not directly," the Inspector replied before turning towards the seal. "So my friend, just who did pay you to do the shooting? Remember your answer will determine if this will be treated as an act of piracy or not!"

"She did!" the seal yelled out while nodding at the antelope. "She paid me to do it!"

Everyone looked at Sheri in surprise. "Why did you do that?" Rip asked.

"I want a lawyer!" was her answer as she sullenly looked at the Inspector.


	12. An Unexpected Encounter

**Chapter 12: An Unexpected Encounter**

* * *

" _So luv, why did you do that to me heart?" Jack called over to her as she stirred the pot. "You can't be that hungry!"_

" _Ah, Jack you broke my cousin's heart back in Tortuga, just call this payback," she replied with a snarl._

" _Your cousin?" the pirate replied. "Who is your cousin? I've broken many a lady's heart, it's in me nature, savvy?"_

" _She slapped you the last time you met!" she answered his question and then reached for a bottle of rum._

" _That doesn't narrow it down much luv," he stated as he licked his lips as she took a swig of the rum. "Mind sharing?"_

 _He frowned when she spit her mouthful of rum all over him and began chanting. "That wasn't what I meant luv," he sighed._

* * *

The fennec fox hugged the sand cat closely as they watched in relief as the police launch sailed back towards the pier. Both a dejected-looking seal and a defiant acting antelope were in pawcuffs next to the little hutia in the tan suit. Two stately looking sea lions in their starched white constable uniforms also kept a close watch over the prisoners.

"Well, I didn't even get a thank you from that SOB!" Nick Wilde dramatically sighed as the blue-uniformed cop joined them by the railings. "I don't think that the Inspector liked me very much."

"The skipper told me that he doesn't care much for foxes," Stone replied as he looked up at the larger fox. "So all this time that I was worried that someone was trying to kill either me or Karen and it turned out to be just another hustle? It's still hard to believe that it was just a PR stunt!"

"So it seems like it was!" the red fox replied with a small smirk on his face.

"So are you and Judy going home now?" Karen asked.

Nick's smirk turned into a real smile as he looked out towards the island. "Nope, since Carrots and I have been reinstated with back pay I figured it's time we take a week's vacation," he chuckled as he turned to look at his partner. The bunny was busily writing up their report on a laptop and not paying any attention to them. "This might not be Pawaii, but it still has its tropical charms and besides I told your dad that I'd keep you safe."

"Safe from whom?" the smaller fox asked. "The case is closed…right?"

"Well that doesn't mean you are completely out of danger," Nick replied. He had adopted the half-closed eyes and the smirk that he gave before he teased someone. "Who knows there might be a ferocious cat lurking around here and I don't want you to catch cat scratch fever."

"There's no such thing as cat scratch fever…" Karen said before she realized what he meant. "Oh!"

"I'll take my chances," Stone laughed, "I already have a fever for this cat." He pulled Karen closer and kissed her.

"Too late to save this poor pup!" the red fox moaned in a mocking tone.

Judy's voice interrupted their conversation. "So Slick what is this about mandatory vacation time that Chief Bogo sent me an e-mail about?" she asked the larger fox as she joined them, her nose was twitching with frustration and her ears drooped behind her head.

Nick smiled down at her before he gently put his digit on her nose to stop the involuntary twitching. "You bunnies must be terrible poker players!" he laughed. "The boss says you need to start using up some of your vacation time that you've accrued, so I figured now would be a good time and here is a perfect place. Sun, sand, seafood and surf, it doesn't get any better than this, Fluff."

"I don't have a choice do I?" the rabbit huffed. "We've been out of commission already for too long and I want to really get back to work…"

The fox cut her objections by leaning over and giving her a kiss. At first, her ears shot up and she blushed before she stepped closer in his arms and passionately returned the kiss.

"He's got a bad case of bunny fever," Stone snickered as he winked at Karen. "So are you ready to put your paws back on solid land?"

"I could get used to living on a luxury yacht," the sand cat replied with a grin. "Maybe I'll ask you to buy me one for my birthday."

"I've got a few surfboards and they float, will one of those do?" the small fox asked. He smiled at her and touched his nose to hers. "You do know I'm just a poor surfer and a beach bum?"

"No, you're the sexy surfing fox that I am in love with," she answered before they kissed.

"So is no one going to admit I was right?" Reggie asked as he walked towards them. "I said that it was a PR stunt last night and everyone thought I was just nuts."

"You are nuts!" the fox chuckled. "But you were almost right."

"Almost?" the meerkat cried out. "I was right and you know it! So when do we get off this tub? Everyone has a companion but me, the crew and Mister Rock. Stoney, you got Karen, the fox cop has the bunny cop, Cooper's got Billy and the cops just took away the only single female onboard in pawcuffs."

Stone laughed as the meerkat just gave another sigh and walked away.

By the time the water taxi arrived, Nick and Judy had changed out of their uniforms and into casual civilian clothing. The ship's purser had arranged for their luggage to be delivered to the resort, which left them free to enjoy the town's festive waterfront. Stone and Karen held paws as the browsed through the shops and into a vast open-air market with all its many stalls of vendors, who offered all kinds of crafts and other goods for sale. In one of the stalls, a book caught his eye and he looked it over, _Famous Pirates of the Seven Seas_ was its title and Stone leafed through it. He sat it down and joined Karen while she looked at some overpriced junk jewelry made from Cowrie shells. "These are three times the price as the ones you can buy from Mike's on the Boardwalk," she whispered to the fox. Then she saw a pretty silver shell necklace with an engraving of a bird on it.

He watched as she picked it up and looked it over. "Would you like that?" he asked. Her tail twitched, but she shook her head no and sat it back down. "You're such a liar!"

"It's too expensive!"

He picked the necklace up and looked it over, it really wasn't that expensive. He knew that, like at the Souk or nightly market in Sahara Square, everything for sale in the market was negotiable. He turned to the fat Mongoose behind the cash register. "Say brah, will you take ten for this bracelet?"

"No my friend, that is a prize piece of jewelry which the pretty lady picked out and is cheap at twenty."

"You got this for no more than three bucks! Come on you'll still make seven in the sale."

"I'd go broke if I started to sell my stuff for so little money!"

Karen chuckled as the fox and the mongoose verbally sparred over the price as she walked over to the book that Stone had picked up. "Twenty for the bracelet and the book," she interjected.

The shopkeeper tried to look offended and then he grinned. "I am always a sucker for pretty girls with green eyes," he laughed as he waved her to the register. She paid him his money and smiled at him as he bagged the book and gently put the necklace around her neck. "A pretty necklace for the pretty lady, may it bring you the luck that you will need."

"Thank you," she replied to the strange thing he had told her.

A few minutes later they caught up with the fox and rabbit, who were sitting at a table in a waterfront café and Stone laughed when he saw Nick had finally got his piña colada to drink. A puff of smoke billowed out from behind the fox, but the surfer couldn't make out with whom the red fox was talking to. His ears shot up when he heard a familiar deep voice. "Dad?" he called out.

An older fennec fox leaned over into his view and grinned. "There's my boy!" Finnick joyously laughed. "You're still alive despite Wilde!" He put the cigar that he had been smoking down in an ashtray and jumped off the large chair he was sitting on so he could hug both Stone and Karen.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" the younger fox asked. "How did you get here?"

"You didn't think I'd not come running when I heard someone was gunning for my son?" Finn answered as he struggled while pulling a seat out for Karen to sit in. "No one messes with my boy!"

"And I thought my father was an Alpha?" Karen giggled as she climbed into the chair.

Finnick laughed as he climbed back into his chair and picked up the cigar, but then noticing the disapproving look that Stone gave him, he ground it out. "I know, I promised your mother I'd give up smoking," he sighed.

The young fox had climbed up into the oversized seat with Karen and looked over at the older fox. "But you can't come to Saint Sly without sampling the rum and cigars," Stone commented with a smile. "I don't think that mom would mind if you indulged yourself once and a while." The older fox's ears shot up and he smiled as he reached for the cigar.

"You never did answer Stone's question Finn," Judy interjected. "Just how did you get here?"

The fox hesitated from relighting his cigar when he realized that there was now nowhere to blow the smoke since Stone and Karen had joined them at the table. He sighed and put the now extinguished cigar into his off white bowling shirt's pocket. "I flew here on a rickety old seaplane full of live free-range chickens!" he laughed.

Nick gave him a smirk before sipping his drink. The red fox wanted to laugh at the look that Judy, the younger fox, and the cat were giving Finn. Leaning forward, he just asked, "Baloo?"

"Yeah Papa Bear," Finn answered. "You know that the big guy owed me a favor and since he was making a run down here with his old seaplane loaded with chickens, he brought me along to keep them under control."

"So where are you staying?" Nick asked as he leaned back. "You can't sleep on a bench in this town."

"Maybe at the resort with my son and Karen?" the older fox replied giving the red fox a wink. "That is if they have any space in their room?"

"I'm sure that there is a sofa in the bungalow you can sleep on," Karen quickly added. "You're more than welcome to share the room." Stone fought to keep his ears from drooping and his tail from curling with thought of his father sleeping in the same room as he and his girlfriend during a trip that was supposed to be a romantic getaway.

"He snores," Nick teased.

"No, he's not staying there," Judy cut in. "You two need your privacy and since Slick and I have a suite just down the street at the Royal Inn, Finn can sleep in the den."

"I'm just teasing the pup," Finn laughed. "I have a small room in town and I already made enough cash yesterday to pay for it too!"

"Finn!" Nick sighed. "How did you do that?"

"By doing the old map scam, Red," the smaller fox answered with a grin. "It always works in touristy places."

"What's a map scam?" Stone asked.

"It's when you get your paws on a whole load of free maps and then turn around and sell them to tourists who don't know better," the older fennec fox explained as he pulled out and stuck the unlit cigar back in his mouth.

"You must have had to sell a ton of maps," Nick said as he shook his head and chuckled.

"Just a few my friend!" Finn replied in a native sing-song accent which matched that of the locals. "Day ha've a plenty more…no worries!"

Judy groaned and pulled her ears down over her eyes.

"I've still got a few left, rabbit!" Finn added with a laugh. "I usually sell them for three bucks, but I'll give you a discount because you're a cop."

"No thanks," Nick replied.

"Actually, I didn't have to sell that many," Finn continued. "I'm staying in a youth hostel."

"Aren't you too old to do that?" Judy asked.

"The lady who runs it is nearsighted and has never seen a fennec fox before, so she has no idea how old I really am," the older fox replied in a much younger, less deep voice. "I'm just a young pup still in college!"

"Dad, you know that's not right!" Stone laughed.

"Oh like you haven't used that con yourself! I seem to remember a certain fox paying youth prices to get into the movies or when buying a kit's meal while eating out," Karen giggled. "I've seen you play the poor lost puppy gig at time or two too!"

Nick looked over at the now blushing younger fennec fox. "Like father, like son!" he laughed as he picked up his drink and saluted Stone. "A chip off the old block!"

"Shut up Wilde," both of the smaller foxes said together.

"Geeze, it's like stereo!" the red fox chuckled. Judy just rolled her eyes and laughed.


	13. Every Cat Has Her Day

**Chapter 13: Every Cat Has Her Day**

* * *

" _So I thought you were not going to make me one of your legions of undead lovers?" he asked her as she stirred the pot. "So why did ye take me heart?"_

" _It was more than just your heart I took pirate," she laughed again. "I took your very essence! You will be buried here along with your pride."_

" _I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request," the coyote replied to her plan._

* * *

Karen gave a deep sigh as the shuttle pulled up to their bus stop and she saw the hotel's name on the sleek black bus's side. The young sand cat was just a few months short of her twenty-first birthday and had worked most of her professional career at the company's hotel along The Strand. She enjoyed her job as an assistant manager, even though the current hotel manager Mister Quill was extremely difficult to work with. The porcupine was very demanding and also vindictive when he did not get his way. He had driven many of the hotel's staff away when he first came, but she had hung on until he turned her in for dating Stone. They called it a crime under an archaic unknown law called the Purity Law, which outlawed different species from mating, and would have never been an issue had it not the controversy over Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps suspension from the police department because of violating the law. Never a fan of Stone, not just because he was a surfer but he was also a fox, Mister Quill reported her to the company's Employee Resources Department and she was surprised when she was suspended pending an investigation.

"Are you okay," Stone asked as he slipped his paw into hers and looked into her eyes.

She gave him a weak smile and gently squeezed his paw. "I'll be fine," she lied. "I'm just a little tired from all the stress of what is going on with my job, then that damned reporter, and now the shooting."

He smiled back at her, but she knew that he didn't believe her. Her eyes swept over him, he was handsome for a fennec fox and fairly tall for his species with lean sandy brown fur that was almost white from under his muzzle to below his waist. All her kittenhood she expected to fall in love with a dashing tomcat, but she had never dreamed when she first saw Stone on the beach that he would become her lover instead. She gave a small smile at the fox as she recalled that day, Stone had just come ashore after surfing and had stripped off his rash guard shirt and his fur was ruffled from shaking off the water. He was talking to some fans, his ears were erect with excitement and his tail was furiously wagging. The fox was sexy and she blushed when he turned and saw her staring. "The worst thing to say to a cat," she accidentally mumbled out loud.

"What is?" the fox asked. His ears were standing straight up and his head was cocked sideways in that questioning candid way that she found so adorable.

The cat slipped her arm around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder. "I was thinking of what you said to me when we first met. I bet you don't remember."

She knew she was right when his tail stopped wagging and his ears slightly drooped.

"I thought so, you're such a rogue!"

"I remember it was at the bar and I was looking at you from across the room…." he tentatively replied. "I remember that smile and those gorgeous green eyes."

"That wasn't the first time we met, was it?" she teased. His ears flattened again and his tail protectively curled under his legs. "I thought so! You forgot what you said to me that day on the beach."

"I guess I forget because it didn't work?" Stone replied as his tail tentatively gave a little wag. "I promise if you tell me, I'll never use it again!"

"You asked me _what's the matter bade, does the cat got your tongue_?" she laughed.

"I must have sounded like a jerk," he groaned and muzzlepawed himself.

"Yes you did, but I knew you weren't a jerk," Karen purred. "Just too cocky for your own good and that's why I made you chase me for so long, to teach you some humility."

"Really and all this time, I just thought you were just a tease!" he replied with a smile. Some of his lower canines were slightly showing reminding her he was definitely all fox.

"I think you enjoyed chasing me all that time."

"Not as much as catching you," he huskily replied. She felt his tail wrapping around her legs and felt his muzzle nuzzling her neck and then a slight kiss.

"Are you coming mates?" Cooper called out from the bus and the wallaby laughed when the fox and cat jumped in surprise.

"Ah, love!" the driver said with a heavy native accent as they boarded. "I'll drive really fast so you two can hurry to your room!" Stone took a seat and struggled to keep from pulling his ears over his eyes to cover his blushing face. "Welcome to paradise my friends!" the driver added with a hearty laugh.

The bus roared up the side of the mountain and along the wide winding road. They passed the entrances to several luxury mansions on their way, but below them, they could see where the "others" lived, the natives and workers who dwelt yearlong on the island. Tin roofs above whitewashed tabby walls, all with colorful doors. Further away from the road, the houses became less maintained and more like worn shacks as they lined the sandy dirt roads. Stone sighed because even here in paradise the working poor had to survive just like his mother and many others he knew who worked along The Strand back home, where the property was expensive and you got less for your hard-earned cash. The fox was not surprised that most of the poor were native land mammals like the hutias, armadillos, anteaters, and water rats who had been supplemented over the centuries by waves of migrants such as the ocelots, island raccoons and their distant cousins the coati, peccary, and otters.

As the bus topped the mountain, it wound its way past the old castle with its grey buttresses looking scenic against the afternoon sun. Down the road, he could see the gates to the resort, spotlessly white. Behind those gates, the grounds were meticulously gardened with colorful flowers and deep green carefully trimmed grass. Within the midst of this mammal made jungle rose the tall white and pink towers of the resort's hotel and beyond that, upon the mountain's side, were the luxuriously faux rustic bungalows and below them facing the ocean the ritzy yurts.

The bus stopped at the hotel's entry and a small army of bellhops rushed to meet the passengers, along with an ocelot in a white suit and a small pretty coati in a white blouse and blue skirt. "Good afternoon and welcome to the Del Sandy Tropical Resort, I am Bernard and if you will follow me, we will check you into your rooms."

Stone tried not to gape at the palatial interior of the building with its five stories leading up to a ceiling with six stained-glass domes. The floors were polished stone covered with plush red and blue rugs. White rattan chairs and tables were scattered around, providing private conversation areas, and a huge mahogany bar was at one end with a grand piano being played by a peccary in a tropical shirt and black pants. "Excuse me, sir," a voice spoke from behind him and he turned to look up at a female ocelot holding a silver tray. "Would you like a glass of pirate's punch?"

Stone nodded and thanked the cat in the white blouse and blue slacks as she handed him a drink. He looked around for Karen and saw that she was talking to Bernard and the coati. He began to walk towards her, but she turned and followed the coati inside a room that was marked staff only.

"I'm sorry Mister Kole, but the Senior Vice President asked to speak with Miss Catspaw when she arrived. I sure it will only be momentarily, while she is doing that why don't we check you in and get you settled," Bernard told him. Stone watched as the ocelot picked up a tablet and returned to where he was standing. "We have you registered on bungalow A 12, which is on the Southside of the resort, your friends are right next door in A 10 and A 11. Once Miss Catspaw is finished with her meeting, we will have a driver take you to your bungalow. He handed the fox a key fob and a file. "Inside is the agenda from the studio, along with a list of the amenities our resort offers. Please let me know if I can be of further service."

Stone sat down in a chair and after a few minutes, Cooper and Billy joined him. "So it looks like we have a few more free days before rehearsals mate," the wallaby commented as he sat down in the chair next to him. "Karen is still behind closed doors?"

"Yeah brah, I hope everything is alright?" the fox sighed. His ears were flat and he nervously frowned while he looked at the door across the room.

"I'm sure everything is okay," Billy said. "She'll be back in no time."

The door opened and Karen stepped out after shaking a well-dressed badger's paw. The fox leapt to his feet and rushed over to join her. "Well that was interesting," the cat chuckled. "It seems that I can return back to work in a few more days with back pay and a nice promotion."

Stone's tail wagged until he realized she had said in a few days. "Does that mean that you will have to go back to the city?" he asked.

She smiled as she slipped into his arms. "No silly fox, I'm staying right here to assist Nancy with being a liaison between the hotel and the studio," she giggled as she nodded towards the coati. "I told them I was willing to do so only if they waived the no fraternizing with the guests policy and allowed me to stay in your bungalow instead of the employee housing. Also when I get home, I will be the hotel's new senior assistant manager because William has been promoted to manager after Mister Quill's reassignment to the airport hotel."

"Ouch!" Billy dramatically groaned. "I've stayed there before and it's noisy with all the flights coming and going all night long."

"We'll need to celebrate your promotion," Stone said. "I wonder where I can get a bottle of Champagne that doesn't cost a paw and a leg around this place?"

"I can think of better ways of celebrating," Karen purred. Stone's ears shot up and his tail wagged.

"Let's find us a ride!" he huskily growled as he trotted towards the front of the building.


	14. For A Bottle of Rum, Mate!

**Chapter 14: For a Bottle of Rum, Mate!**

* * *

 _For the pirate, the fate that she had in mind was worse than becoming a zombie or even death itself, she had woven a most evil spell. He begged her not to cast it as her undead lovers began to bring the treasure that he had buried when he first arrived, at least a portion of it that they knew of, and piled it upon his shackled body._

" _Ye will sleep the sleep of the undead, to be neither awake nor asleep but in a dream-like world," she laughed. "All the time being aware that ye are forgotten by all who knew ye or ever had, it twill be as if ye never lived."_

 _He screamed every obscenity he knew at her as they piled more gold and jewels upon him._

* * *

"You know Stoney we are a weird pair," Karen said with a sigh as she felt his arms around her as she enjoyed soaking in the hot sudsy water. They were together in an outdoor bathtub made for mammals their size and were looking out towards the blue ocean, which was beyond the tropical trees.

"Yeah, I know a fox and a cat," the fox replied. "I don't think that's weird."

"No silly! Not only that, but we are both species that came from the hot dry desert and yet we both love the sea and water. Don't you think that is weird?"

"Never thought about it that much before, I guess when the gods made us two they had a sense of humor?" He said as he hugged her tighter and she gave a content sigh. "My dad wants us to come back into town for dinner and the guys want to see what the town offers in the way of nightlife."

"Do you think you're mom and dad will ever get married? We've got Cooper and Billy's wedding coming up when we get back too."

For Stone it was like a bucket of cold water was tossed upon him from above, Karen had never mentioned marriage before and the fox was unsure where this conversation was heading. "I don't know," he carefully answered, trying not to stammer as he spoke. "Both are pretty set in their ways and like their alone time, we foxes are like that." She stiffened slightly when he said that and he wished he hadn't added that last part, although it was true.

"Do you need alone time from me?" she tentatively asked in a strained voice.

He nuzzled her neck and sighed. "The problem I have is that I can't get enough time with you," he replied.

She giggled as he licked her ear. "Silver-tongued fox!" she admonished him. Then her phone went off and she gave a slight groan, "That's my parents, I guess I need to get out and answer it."

She tried to sit up and get out of the tub, but the fox grabbed her waist and pulled her back into the water with a splash. "You can call them back later," he said in a husky voice. "Much, much later!"

* * *

It was much later by the time they came into town to meet his father at a popular local waterfront bar and Stone found Finnick outside of the bar smoking a cigar again. The younger fox was surprised to see Nick was also out there with him puffing on a cigar too. Both seemed to be drinking rum on ice, probably the top shelf expensive brand.

"You want a puff?" Finn asked his son and chuckled when the other fennec fox gave him a disgusted look and shook his head no. "It's an acquired taste."

The red fox laughed at his friend's comment before putting his cigar down to take a sip of his drink.

Stone joined them at the railing and looked out towards the ocean, before loudly sighing.

"Watsup!" the older fennec fox asked. "You look like you've got something heavy on your mind, girl troubles already?"

"Kind of," Stone answered, his ears were laid back flat and he did indeed looked troubled. "Karen has said a few things this afternoon that sounded like she wants to get married."

"Oh!" Finn replied as he cast a look up at the taller red fox, who rolled his eyes as he was preparing to slink away to give the father and his son some privacy. "And you're not ready to get married?"

"I don't know? But it made me think about why you and mom didn't get married? I mean when you were much younger."

The older fox took another draw on his cigar before he sat it in the ashtray. "I was a coward," he answered. "I was younger than you are and foolish. Maybe I should have pushed her to ask me and now that I'm older and wiser, she won't have me."

The younger fox's ears shot up in surprise, even Nick looked back at his friend in shock. "I've hinted to her twice that I'm interested, but she said that she doesn't want to get tied down," Finn laughed. "She even offered to live with me, but not get married."

"What about you Nick?" Stone asked the larger red fox who had moved to the other side of the deck. "Have you and Judy thought about it?"

"I plan to ask her after all this blows over," the red fox replied with a grin as he stubbed out his cigar and tossed back the last of his drink. "That is if I get brave enough to ask her father's permission."

"Are you afraid that Stu will say no?" Finn asked as he also ground his cigar out and Stone realized it was the same cigar he had been smoking earlier.

"I'm afraid Stu will beat me up!" Nick laughed. "Never piss off a farmer, he's a lot stronger than he looks and has at least a dozen fox tasers."

"It's much easier in our fox culture, letting the vixen do the asking," the older fennec fox said as he slipped the now cold cigar into his pocket. "So is my boy thinking about marriage or not?"

Stone's ears drooped and he sighed. "I don't know?" he almost whined out. "I mean I'm not exactly a source of steady income."

"Karen is and who says the male has to always be the breadwinner in the family?" Finn said as he put his paw on his son's back.

"It'll look like I'm mooching off of her!" the younger fox groaned. "And there's the issue of us never having kittens or puppies."

"You two can always adopt," Nick offered. "Judy and I have the same issue."

"At least you don't have any puppies that you didn't know you had until one shows up at your van's door," the older fennec fox chuckled. "But that turned out to be one of the best days of my life though."

Stone smiled at his father and hugged Finn before he replied, "Mine too, but…"

"Stop with the excuses!" Finn suddenly snapped. "Look son, it's your choice but just don't run away from her. Karen is the love of your life and you will become a bitter old grouchy fox if you lose her."

"Yeah Stoney, don't grow up to be like your old pop," Nick laughed.

Finn replied with a mock growl.

"I don't know!" Stone whined again.

Inside Cooper was holding Billy's paw as they sat at the table with Karen and Judy. The two females were quizzing them about their wedding plans. "We're getting married in the park at Seaside and the reception is going to be at the Blue Mermaid Bar and Grill," Billy said with a smile on his muzzle. "It won't be a big wedding, just the villagers, friends and family."

Karen looked over at Cooper and the wallaby slightly frowned at the mention of family, he was still estranged from his father who refused to accept his son's sexuality.

"Doesn't Seaside have a nice old church?" Judy asked. The bunny was a bit tipsy and hiccupped slightly. "I always wanted a big church wedding with a white gown, flowers, the whole works."

"What do you think honey?" Billy laughed. "You want to wear the white bridal gown or should I?"

"In your dreams mate!" Cooper laughed back.

"I'm not into that," Billy replied and leaned over to kiss his lover's cheek. "Let's stick with the suits, but I get to wear the white tie."

"I'll wrestle you for it!" Cooper added with a devilish grin.

"Promises…promises…" Billy chuckled and winked at the other wallaby.

Reggie plopped himself into a chair and loudly sighed, "I've seen more action at a rhino convention."

Karen looked around and realized that not only were they the smallest mammals in the bar, but also the youngest. The calypso band started up again with their rhythmic and harmonic vocals, along with the steel drums. "It does seem to be an older crowd here tonight," she observed.

"Let's go find where the locals hang out," the meerkat suggested. "Someplace with better music."

They paid for their drinks and walked together down the waterfront. "Any suggestions?" Nick asked Finn. "You've had a day more to scope out the landscape."

"The Gun Battery Bar is just below the old castle and seems to be a popular local joint," the older fennec fox answered with a yawn. "It's a little rough, but they say the beer is cold and the music is Reggae. I'm not sure how they'll treat tourists though?"

"I think we can handle it," Judy slurred out.

Nick put a loving paw on her head. "I think this is where we part ways tonight," he chuckled. "My honey bunny is a bit tipsy." Without much of a protest, he led her away towards their hotel.

Finn looked at the parting fox and bunny before he turned to the younger mammals. "Look guys, I'm a bit beat myself," he said with another yawn. "I think I'll call it a night too!" He hugged Stone and Karen before wandering off towards the Youth Hostel. The younger fox shook his head when he saw his father pausing to light up the cigar again and take another puff.

"Do you think he'll ever give up smoking mate?" Cooper asked.

"Not really," Stone chuckled. "He's like my mom, too set in his ways."

After a long walk through town, they made it to the bar and the music was blaring. However, as soon as they walked inside, the music stopped and everyone turned to look at them. "Oh shit!" Reggie muttered. "We're so dead!"

A singer with the band looked down at them and his beaded earrings musically clinked together as he squinted to see them better through the smoke. "Dude is that Stone Kole, the champion surfer?" he called out.

Stone waved at the crowd. "Rad tunes brah, heard you on the street!" he called back.

"Awesome possum!" the singer laughed using Stone's well-known phrase. "Someone get that fox a brew!"

The locals crowded around Stone and his friends, drinks were shoved into their paws as the music began again.

* * *

They partied late into the night and finally returned to the resort. Stone carried a half-empty bottle of Champagne while he staggered with Karen towards their bungalow. As he was walked along the trail, the little fox saw something glittering in the darkness and stooped to pick it up. "What's that?" Karen hiccuped.

"I don't know but it looks like a gold doubloon, maybe a pirate lost it?" Stone snickered as he held it up in his paw.

"Probably a cheap trinket from the gift shop," Karen laughed as Stone slipped it into his pocket.

They made it into their room and Stone put the now empty bottle on the table before stripping and joining Karen in the bed. He slipped under the sheets next to her and frowned when he heard her give a little snore. Carefully so as not to wake her, he pulled off her clothes and piled them on the bed before he curled himself around her. She instinctively reached for his tail and pulled it over her and he heard her soft purr before he himself fell asleep.

 _He dreamt of cannons firing, strange chanting and being sealed inside a dark dank room_.

Stone's big ears flicked as he was startled awake by a strange sound that seemed to be within the hut's room. It was if a voice was very softly speaking in an even fainter whisper at the end of the bed. He strained to listen for the sound and he could barely hear it amongst the roaring rhythm of the surf down the trail. "Rum…rum…where's the bloody run?" it sounded like someone was asking.

The fennec fox sat up and looked around, but he didn't see anything usual with the room. The moonlight was streaming through the curtains, lighting the room up as if it was already daybreak. He felt Karen stir and roll onto her stomach and was startled as her tail softly swished along his side.

Suddenly, there was a loud thump as the empty bottle of Champagne fell off the table and rolled across the floor. The fox's eyes widen in disbelief as it mysteriously stopped and righted itself upon the wooden tiles. "Oops, I don't know me own strength mate!" a voice clearly said from inside the room.

"What the hell is going on?" Stone yipped as he jumped out of the bed and frantically looked around.

"Oh my, a fox…a little fox…a very naked little fox," the now amused voice remarked.

"Stoney?" Karen sleepily called out to him. "Are you okay?"

The small fox turned to watch as the cat sat up and pulled the covers over her naked body. Then his eyes widen with fear as he looked back behind him to see that a wispy mist was beginning to form into a still transparent, but definitely identifiable form of a tall lean coyote. It was dressed in what appeared to be an old fashioned doublet jacket and vest, along with black canvas pants. The figure turned toward the little fox and swept what looked like a tricorne hat from its head as it bowed. "Captain Jack Sp...Spa...damn this curse! Just call me Captain Jack and I'm at your service mate," he proudly announced. "Now where do you keep the rum?"

"Where did you come from?" Stone stuttered.

"Who are you talking to Stoney?" Karen asked.

It was at that moment that Stone Kole wished he had stayed in Zootopia.


	15. A Spirited Encounter

**Chapter 15: A Spirited Encounter**

* * *

 **Captain Jack meets Stone's friends.**

* * *

 _He tossed and turned in his confinement and then suddenly he felt the bonds that spiritually held him prisoner burst. Although his body was still bound, his spirit soared toward the holder of a piece of his treasure, a simple gold coin that he had taken during his first raid. That's how he found himself a ghost in a room with a small, big-eared fox._

* * *

The ghost hovered nearby as he watched the cat jump out of the bed and run to the now fainted fox. "Stone!" she cried out as she shook him. "Are you okay?"

Groggily, the small fox awoke and crawled toward the bed, where he sat down. "I don't know, I swore I saw a ghost…" he muttered.

"Ye did mate," the ghost said as he more floated then walked towards the fox who looked up at him with wide eyes. "No don't go dropping on me again, savvy?"

"Gh…Gh…Ghost!" Stone yipped as he pointed at the almost transparent coyote.

Karen turned on the light, which surprised the ghost when the room became illuminated brighter than any candle could have made it. He floated towards the source of the light and took a look first at the bulb and then after losing interest, leaned against the wall and smiled as his eyes devoured the naked cat's body. "She's a looker mate!" he chuckled.

The fox let out a growl as he snatched up the sheet and covered Karen, who was startled by his actions. "You can't see him?" the fox said to her. "He's right there by the light."

The cat looked around in confusion before answering, "Stoney I don't see anyone in here but you and me. Let me get Cooper and Billy, you just lay back on the bed and I'll be right back with the guys." She pulled the sheet tighter and ran for the door.

"You've got some of me treasure!" the ghostly coyote snarled as he walked towards the fox and drew his ghostly blade. "I want me coin back mate."

Stone hopped off the bed and dug into his shorts¸ finding the coin he tossed it to the pirate. "Here it is, now go away!" he whimpered.

Captain Jack tried to catch the coin with his ghostly paw and frowned as it fell through his grasp and hit the floor with a clatter. He leaned over and tried to pick up the object, but he couldn't grasp it no matter how hard he tried. "Bullocks!" he snapped.

By the time Karen returned to the room with the two blurred eyed half-dressed wallabies, the fox was still stark naked on the bed with his back pressed against the headboard and his tail protectively wrapped in his lap while staring with wide eyes at the empty room.

"Blimey, he's snapped!" Cooper exclaimed when he saw his best friend.

"Again!" Billy added. "But at least this time he didn't run into the sea."

"Look out!" Stone yipped as Cooper walked further into the room and towards the ghost. His ears shot up in surprise when the hopper walked right through the coyote without pausing. The wallaby did shiver slightly as if he had a cold chill but kept hopping towards the ice bucket and the glasses.

Billy followed but stopped when he saw the gold coin and leaned over and picked it up. "Where did you find…." He began to ask, but his eyes went wide with fear when he looked up. "A gh…gh…ghost!" he yelled before running towards Cooper and into the other hopper's arms.

Cooper turned just as his lover ran smack into him and dropped the glass of water he had just poured for Stone. The coin in Billy's paw touched the other wallaby and he gasped as he saw the almost transparent pirate standing in the center of the room.

"Boo, mate!" the coyote called out with a grin. Unlike the fox and the other wallaby, Cooper gave an incoherent yell and grabbed up the ice bucket, which he hurdled at the specter. It sailed clean through the ghostly pirate and almost hit Karen, who in her surprise, released the sheet which fell into a puddle at her foot paws.

"Ah!" the phantom mused as he looked her over before she bent and grabbed the sheet to cover her naked body again. "She does have a fine figure mate," he said towards Cooper. "Although I take it you don't care for her feline charms savvy?" Cooper scowled back at the ghost, but Billy just stared.

"What…what do you want?" Stone stammered from the bed. He had finally found his voice and he sounded a bit angrier, the fox was relieved that his other friends now saw what he was looking at and that he hadn't gone insane.

"Me freedom…a pint o' rum…a good looking wench," the pirate replied with his paw to his muzzle as if in deep thought. A smirk came to his face as he looked over at the confused looking cat who was clinging to the bedsheet. "A wench more my size would be nice too…oh and my bloody name back!"

"Are you saying there is really a ghost in here?" Karen demanded. "If so, why can't I see him?"

"Give her the coin mate," the ghost suggested. "Maybe then she will see me, I hate that she can't share in all me charms."

Cooper threw the coin to her and she managed to catch it without dropping her covers. When the coin landed in her paw, she gave a start.

Karen stared at the pirate who gave her a grin. "Captain Jack Sp…Spa….," he tried to say as he tipped his hat to her. "I must say you have a fine figure from ship to your stern."

She replied with a scream as she leapt onto the bed and into Stone's arms.

"Ah, I get that reaction from some of the ladies, even when I was more alive," the ghost chuckled. "I am after all or was a pirate, although I didn't believe in the rape part of that old saying about rape and pillage. I was more a love 'em and leave 'em, pirate."

"You saw me naked!" the cat hissed.

"Yes and actually I think everyone here has had that pleasure tonight," the ghost named Jack pointed out. "But with that bonny body, I wouldn't be ashamed."

"Why not a dead pirate," the cat sighed as her ears flattened. "Half the world already saw me naked on television." Stone's tan fluffy tail wrapped protectively into her lap as he pulled her closer in his embrace.

"Are you here to hurt us?" the fox whimpered.

"Hurt you?" the ghost asked back. "Why would I want to do that mate? I was hoping that you might be able to help me out."

"Help you out by doing what?" Cooper interjected. He was still hugging his wild-eyed lover in his arms.

"Help me escape where she left me," the ghost replied. "But first maybe you could find me a drink of some bloody rum? I am a wee bit parched, after all, it's been a few hundred years since I last had a sip."

Cooper gently pushed Billy into a chair and freed himself of the other wallaby's frantic embrace before he hopped over to the minibar and dug around until he found a small bottle marked rum. Twisting the top off the bottle, he held it up towards the ghost, who licked his lips in anticipation as he floated towards him. The wallaby jumped slightly as a cold clammy paw touched his and the ghost tried several times before finally successfully grasping the bottle.

"Mouse sized," he commented as he lifted it to his muzzle and drank. The liquid ran through his semitransparent body and splashed onto the floor. "That mate was rather unsatisfying."

"Are you now happy?" Cooper sarcastically snapped. "You bloody well made a mess on the floor, mate!"

The ghost looked down at the wet floor. "Aye so it seems I wetted myself and wasn't even drunk," he laughed. "So I guess a little debauchery with the kitty is also impossible? Care to give a try luv?"

"Hey, that's not funny!" Karen hissed as Stone let out a growl.

"Husbands!" the ghost sighed. "Always getting in the way of a bloody good time."

"Boyfriend!" Karen snapped back. "He's my boyfriend!"

"Sharing a bed like that," the pirate chuckled. "You two should be ashamed."

"Shut up!" Stone growled.

"What do you mean that you want your name back?" Cooper interjected. He had walked back to stand next to Billy.

"She put a voodoo curse upon me that no one would remember me name," the pirate replied. "I was once a renowned scourge of the Seven Seas too!"

"Stone didn't you just buy a book that listed all the famous pirates in history?" the wallaby asked.

"It's in the bag on the table," the fox replied. He had burrowed under the sheet with Karen and pulled the covers tight.

The wallaby sat at the table and pulled the book out of the bag. He shuddered when he realized the ghost was right behind him. "Why don't you take a seat on the other side of the table mate," Cooper suggested. With relief, he saw the ghost float to the chair opposite of him.

Opening the book, he leafed through the pages and the colored drawings or paintings of the various pirates. "Well this is a book of rogues if I ever saw one, "Jack remarked. "There be Captain Kidd, that old goat was a lousy poker player, he was!"

The wallaby turned the page and a multi-colored highland wild cat with a huge dagger was shown. "Aye that must be Calico Jean!" the pirate remarked. "Terror of the Sahara Coast, I never met her. I think they hung her before I was born."

Page after page of famous pirates were shown to the ghost, who had a comment or story to tell about each one of them. Then Cooper turned the last page and a scruffy looking, peg-legged, black-furred wolf was shown. "Barbarossa!" the coyote growled. "A dark trickster that one was, he once led a mutiny that took me ship and left me stranded on a barren island. I would have died too if I hadn't roped a sea turtle with me tail and rode it to civilization."

"Really?" Billy asked in wonder. "What else did you do?"

"I once single pawed, well almost single pawed, fought a ship's crew of undead pirates for a cursed treasure…" he began.

"Well mate, if you were so famous, why are you not in the book?" Cooper said as he slammed the book closed. "Maybe there is a companion book about braggarts of the Seven Seas!"


	16. A Pirate's Life

**Chapter 16: A Pirate's Life**

* * *

 **While Stone and the gang finally sleep, Jack wanders about the hotel and marvels at the many changes that have happened while he was dead.**

* * *

Sometime during the early morning, the little fox fell asleep again despite the presence of the talkative ghost. He had pulled on a pair of shorts and after much effort to stay awake, at last, he nodded off with his head in the lap of the now fully dressed sand cat. The two wallabies also slipped off into a slumber leaving the shade of the pirate to wander the land again. He floated through the gardens towards the grand hotel where he marveled at the luxurious opulence of the building, it was grander than any palace he had ever seen during his lifetime. His incorporeal body wandered down the hallways, peeking into one room after another and shook his head in wonder as what he saw. This place was just prime for the picking, if he only had his crew and ship again. They could sweep in here and take what they wanted, but he knew that those days were long gone after he wandered into one of the shops and realized that they now dressed up and played at being pirates. It was truly a sad legacy for his kind.

Jack floated to the hotel's highest tower and watched as the sun rose in the east, casting its early morning rays upon the once-powerful fortress and the slumbering town it once guarded below. The coyote sighed as he looked down towards the sea and then his eyes searched towards the distant island called Saint Mary's. "I am free witch and it's your time of reckoning!" he swore as the sun illuminated him and he faded away.

Back in his bungalow Stone yawned as he came awake, he looked up at Karen who was still asleep and smiled. "That was a hell of a nightmare last night," he softly muttered as he sat up and stretched. Then he looked down at the floor and saw the uprighted bottle of Champaign still on the floor and the two wallabies sleeping on the couch. "Oh no!" he softly groaned when it all came back to him and after he slipped out of the bed, he looked around but didn't see the ghost anywhere in the room. "Maybe he left?"

The headache, cottonmouth, and queasiness from overindulging the night before had their toll on the small fox. Staggering to the bathroom, he lifted the lid and hiked his leg as he peed. Then he stepped up on a stool and pulled his toothbrush out of his travel kit and squeezed some toothpaste on to it. He began to brush his teeth, trying to get that funky taste out of his mouth. "You're foaming at the muzzle mate!" a voice spoke and the fox almost fell off the stool when a ghostly image appeared in the mirror looking back at him.

"Gahhhh!" he gave one of those embarrassing yip yowls that only fennec foxes can make. "You're real!"

"Foaming at the mouth means that you have the cur's ravings, right?" Jack continued. "They say that rum is the cure for that or was it turpentine?"

"Dude you scared me!" Stone yipped again as he rinsed his mouth. "What the hell is curs rave anyway?"

"It's called cur's ravings and it's a sickness with the foaming at the mouth, dizziness, and you're bloody thirsty," the pirate replied. "You get it from being bitten by another ill mammal."

"We call it rabies and we have vaccines for that nowadays!" the fox snapped in a frustrated tone. "Now get out so I can take a shower!"

"You're a moody little bugger when you drink too much!" the ghostly image laughed. "Rum will cure that hangover too! Besides I've already seen everything you own, mate!"

"OUT!" the fox growled as he pointed at the door.

He stepped into the shower, turning it on hot and sighed as he put his head against the stall wall. Things were not going as he thought they would, a romantic trip to a tropical island with his love and then get paid for doing a few scenes in the movie, all the time enjoying some rad surf. Instead, Karen got suspended from her job, he got shot at, and now there's that pesky ghost. He heard the toilet flush and he growled out, "I told you to get out!"

The shower stall slid open and he looked to see Karen standing there wrapped only in a towel. "Well that wasn't the greeting I was expecting!" she huffed as she turned to leave.

"Sorry honey, but the ghost is still around," he quickly said as he reached out for her paw and pulled her into the shower with him.

Jack saw the towel fall to the ground and decided that even a pirate ghost should let the two lovers have their privacy. He walked or rather floated through the door and back into the main room, where he looked at the two male wallabies laying each other's arms. "You should know that that's a hanging offense in the Royal Navy mates or at least it was at one time," he chuckled to the sleeping pair. "We in the brotherhood were a little more lenient with your kind of behavior."

He left the two alone and stepped out onto the back porch, the morning sun shone down upon the palm trees and he could hear the distance surf beyond. He smiled when he heard the giggling from the shower and shook his head. "Bloody young love," he muttered to himself. "I never loved just one lass and that was me downfall." Anger welled up inside of him again as he thought about the cruel hand that the witch had dealt him. Killing him was one thing, but wiping him out of existence and from everyone's memory was another more devilish act because he was once an infamous pirate!

What had happened during the years after his death and before his soul was released by the little fox amazed him. Self-moving carriages, water that fell like rain, indoor plumbing, these were all marvels that boggled his imagination. He heard something overhead and looked up to see some weird large white bird-like object and realized that it was mammal made as it roared into the distance. The thirst was back, he knew that it was more of a mental thing than a real need. "Ah for a taste of rum," he sighed. His ears flicked as he heard voices and the female's giggling from the room where the water fell like rain. "The Puritans would have hated you two," he sighed to himself. "But you aren't the first cat and fox who loved each other, there was old Sheila and Captain Red Shanks of the Amir coast. Those two were a bloodthirsty lot, raiding the silk and spice junks along the shores until the Emperor's fleet caught them. They say the held paws when they hung em on the gibbet, ah a pirate's life they lived and well at least those two were remembered!"

He wandered down the path towards the ocean, pausing to try to remember what the land looked like when he was still alive. Along the pathway, he picked up an old plank and with great effort finally scratched some lines upon it before he reached the beach, where he dug a hole in the sand and tossed the chuck into it before he filled it back in. "Maybe someone will find that and remember me?" he mused. He stopped as he saw an attractive looking tigress in a skimpy bathing suit walking out onto the beach. "Now I wish I really was alive!"

She laid her towel down on the sand and waded into the surf, striking out into the water with powerful strokes as she swam into the deeper ocean water. "Where are you going luv?" he spoke to her, but she could not hear his voice as she bobbed up and down in the waves. He stood upon the water and looked down at her as she dove under the waves and then popped back to the surface with a splash. His eyes narrowed when he saw what she did not, a triangular fin which broke a nearby wave top and then disappeared under the next wave as the shark angled toward the splashing tiger. "Bloody hell!" the coyote cursed as he forced himself to sink under the water.

Sharks are acutely sensitive to electromagnetic fields, as are ghosts, and the presence of the pirate caused the bull shark to swerve away from the tiger and straight towards the spirit who was now standing on the ocean's bottom. The large sea predator sped up for a killing strike at the object that it felt, but could not see, and with gaping jaws passed right through the ghost, only to smack into the side of the reef behind the coyote. Stunned and injured, the shark slowly swam away towards deeper waters, leaving the tigress to swim unmolested back to the beach.

Jack strolled out of the water and chuckled as he habitually tried to shake off the water, like the tiger was doing before him. He watched as she sat down on the towel and reached into her bag, only to pull out a small thin rectangular box. He was amazed as she hit it gently with her claw and a voice spoke from inside the box, to which she answered. The coyotes stood there dumbstruck as the tigress carried on a conversation with the box. "I wonder if she's keeping a mouse inside of there?" he mused. "A very thin mouse at that?"

She finished her phone call and then she pushed it again and music began to play music before she stuck some white ropes into it and the other ends into her ears. "She has a whole bloody mouse band in there," the ghostly pirate grunted.

After a while, he grew bored and walked back up the mountainside toward the bungalow and those small strange little mammals that he was hoping would help save him.


	17. A Trap

**Chapter 17: A Trap**

* * *

 **Reggie doesn't take the news of a ghost pirate very well and is angry that Stone and the others are trying to help Jack. Stone and Karen are ambushed by the undead.**

* * *

Stone Kole was not a fighter because he was slow to anger and very affable to others. In many ways, he was like his father Finn's friend Nick Wilde and used humor to defuse many potentially violent situations. It wasn't that he couldn't fight, but he just didn't like to do so and so avoided those circumstances that might lead to fighting. His friend and fellow surfer Sandfly, with whom Stone had worked with during the last holiday season at the wolf's surf shop, once confided in him that one of the reasons no one got into a tussle with the little fox was because it would be like beating up a puppy. "You just too damn cute to beat up," the skinny wolf laughed.

Most of the fights he did get involved with when he was younger, were caused by his brother Storm. His brother was in many ways the polar opposite of the surfer and despite his objections to the contrary, Storm was very much his father's son. Both were quick-tempered, foul-mouthed, and had that same deep voice. Like Finn, Storm too didn't know when to back down from danger and his sarcastic comments ruffled many a mammal's fur.

The fennec fox's friends were much like him in their aversion to fighting and of the three surfers, it was Reggie who was the one who usually got into the most trouble. The slim meerkat just didn't know when to shut up and often Stone found himself having to talk his friend out of a dangerous situation. Stone also learned that despite his size, Cooper was well trained at the art of Outback Kick Boxing and he had once witnessed the hopper downing a much larger, but drunken, wolf.

Fresh from the shower, the fox pulled on a teal sleeveless tee-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts, he sat on the bed waiting for Karen to come out of the bathroom. Because of their ghostly companion, she had decided to dress in there, much to her lover's disappointment. "So now what?" he asked her. "I mean, this guy isn't going away unless we help him and I don't know how?"

"That's easy mate," a voice spoke from behind him and Stone squinted to try to see the coyote who was obviously back in the room. "We need to get me body free from the cavern!"

"Why can't I see you?" Stone asked. He was no longer afraid of the pirate, but now more curious of the ghost.

"I'm not that easy to see during the nighttime am I mate?" the coyote answered. "I guess the sunlight makes me almost impossible to see during the daytime?"

The fox grunted and sighed as he nervously pulled his tail into his lap. "So where are you buried?" he finally asked.

"Somewhere inside a cave on Saint Mary's Island, that was where the witch lived. It has been hundreds of years ago and I'm sure she's long gone, mate."

The coyote was wrong…

The Island of the Damned wasn't just a quaint story told to the tourists, any native islander knew the tales of the Voodoo Queen and how she once held sway over the island until the king's soldiers brought an end to her and her followers. The officer who held the warrant was ruthless and he ordered the black jaguar and her followers hunted down by the red-coated soldiers. "Use the long bayonet and the short rope to bring her reign to an end!" he ordered. The only problem with his orders was that the bayonet and the hangmammal's noose could not kill the undead. But, the officer found out that fire could and soon many of her undead minions, along with most of her living followers were burned at the stake. Unable to find her in the volcano's labyrinth, they chose to blow up the tunnels and seal her inside, where the locals claim that she still dwelt today.

Cooper and Billy had joined them in the bungalow. "So you want us to go to that bloody island and find your bloody body, then what mate?" Cooper asked. Before the spirit could answer there was a knock on the door and without pausing, Reggie strolled right in and looked around.

"So who's up for surfing?" the meerkat asked, but he was surprised at the grim looks that his companions gave him. "Did someone die or something?"

"Something kind of like that," Billy replied. "Stone, why don't you give him the coin? He might as well be in on this too."

"In on what?" the meerkat asked as he caught the gold doubloon which the fox had tossed to him.

"So who are you mate?" the ghostly coyote asked. The meerkat didn't answer, but bounced the coin in is paw.

"If I didn't know better, I'd swear this was gold," Reggie casually remarked with a grin on his muzzle. "So are we going to dig for buried treasure?"

"Bloody hell!" Copper exclaimed. "Don't you hear that wanker talking to you mate?"

Confused, the meerkat looked around. "The only one talking around her is you!" Reggie replied. "Did you just call me a wanker?"

"He can't hear me," Jack exclaimed. "I guess the coin only worked last night."

"Great, so I guess we need to do this the hard way," Stone sighed. "Reggie, take a seat because this might be a bit of a shocker."

"This isn't funny guys," the meerkat huffed. "Do you want to go surfing or not?"

"There's a bloody ghost here mate!" Cooper exclaimed. "A ghost of a pirate!"

The meerkat sat down and shook his head. "Ha..Ha..Ha guys, I'm not finding this very funny. So stop pulling my chain and let's go do something fun." He tossed the coin back towards the fox and was surprised when it just stopped in midair.

The coyote concentrated as hard as he could while he reached to catch the gold coin. "Well mate, I'm getting better with the touchy thingy," he exclaimed.

"So you are telling the truth, there is a ghost around here?" the meerkat said with wide eyes at the floating coin.

"We told you, he is a ghost of a pirate and he needs our help," Billy added. The hopper was surprised when the meerkat suddenly looked aggravated.

"What's wrong Reggie?" Karen asked as she walked over and put her paw on the surfer's shoulder.

"I'm sick of pirates…all of this…is shit!" the meerkat replied. "My species and pirates don't have the greatest history together."

"Aye, he right," the ghost interrupted as he spoke to the meerkat's companions. "The brotherhood betrayed his kind back along the Sahara Coast long before I was born."

"He said that he that it was before his time, mate," Cooper interpreted to his companion.

"Pirates sold my ancestors into slavery," Reggie snarled. "Our tribe trusted them and paid the brotherhood to protect us from the slavers and instead they took our money, then they betrayed us. An entire tribe was sold on the auction blocks of Styggia, our whole culture disappeared within a generation."

"It was Calico Jean who did that!" Jack sighed. "The cat played both sides, first taking the meerkat's money and then leading the slavers to them. Afterward, she raided Styggia itself and sacked the city for the riches that the auction raised. Truth be told mate, she was considered as being somewhat brilliant by the brotherhood for her actions. We pirates aren't anything like what they are making us into, we are…well, we weren't fun-loving rogues sailing the merry seas."

Stone looked over at Reggie. "He says he's sorry," was all the fox could think of saying.

The meerkat stood and looked over at the others, "I wouldn't have anything to do with this ghost if I were you, let him rot in hell." Turning, he angrily walked out of the door and into the daylight.

"Well that went well," Billy sighed. Cooper put his arm over the other thumper's shoulder.

"So, now what do we do?" Karen asked the pirate.

Stone interrupted the pirate before he could answer. "I think the first thing we need to do is find out more about this Voodoo Queen and as much about voodoo as we can."

Cooper's ears flattened and his tail thumped on the floor. "Let's just not try to end up bloody well cursed or dead, mates," he added.

Hours later, Stone found himself and Karen standing inside of a shop that was located in the center of town, around them was all kinds of voodoo items. There were racks of tee shirts with skulls and brain-sucking zombies, a wall of different voodoo dolls, coffee mugs, hats, medallions, and all kinds of popularized paraphernalia. The teenaged ocelot behind the counter gave a board shrug when they asked if she had heard about the voodoo queen. "Sure everyone has," she sighed. "We've even got a tee-shirt with her picture on it. They tell ghost tours every night and her story is included, would you like to buy some tickets?"

The fox shook his head no and sighed as he looked at the adjoining store and realized that one was full of pirate tee-shirts, coffee mugs, plastic swords, and other junk. It seemed that voodoo, like the pirates, had been coopted into a popular touristy fantasy.

Taking Karen's paw he pulled her away from the shop. "Well that was a waste of time," he huffed.

As they stepped out of the shop, they passed a portly female Huita dressed in white robes and petting a snake. "So did you find what you were seeking in there my dears?" the elderly rodent asked softly in her accented and almost musical voice. "There is voodoo and then there is Vodou, the first is a touristy legend and the latter is a religion."

"We were seeking someone who could tell us about zombies and the Voodoo Queen," Marie asked her. "If they really exist?"

"My dear, what you seek has nothing to do with voodoo or even Vodou," she sighed as she stroked her scaly companion. "The so-called Voodoo Queen is not from these islands, but came here from far away. She is one of the Leukai, the singers of death, and her powers are dark as they are evil. But you seek a way to help your friend, do they not my dear spirit?"

Both Stone and Karen were startled when she said this and looked around.

"She can see me, mates," they heard the invisible ghost say.

The portly huita looked up at them and smiled, it was then that the fox and the cat realized that she was blind. "No, my dear I cannot see you but I can hear you and feel your presence before me," she replied. The snake hissed at the unseen pirate. "Now you three come and follow me to my abode and we can talk about how to end this curse."

She stood and boldly strolled down the sidewalk with the snake on her shoulder, moving to avoid the tourist as if she could see them. The fox and the cat ran after her as she turned down one alleyway and onto another back street. Further, they followed her up the mountainside and down a dirt road towards what appeared to be a hovel. The cat hesitated before entering the building and whispered to Stone, "What do we really know about her?"

"She can see or feel Jack," the fox replied as he entered and looked around. The room was empty, devoid of any furniture or furnishing of any kind and looked to have been abandoned. The huita stood in the corner standing still looking as if she was dream walking while the snake on her shoulders slithered onto the ground.

The door slammed behind them and they turned to face two large thin and bony jaguars in centuries-old clothes. "It's a trap, mates!" the ghost called out. "They're zombies!"

Stone looked around for anything to fight the much larger creatures with but finding nothing, he lunged at the huita with his claws swinging and fangs drawn. She didn't flinch or try to defend herself, but the snake at her feet, however, spit blue powder into the fox's face. The small fox staggered while he tried to steady himself, but the room spun around him and he could hear Karen's scream before the darkness claimed him.

The ghost fled the room after watching one of the two larger cats push the sand cat onto the floor and as the snake blew the same blue powder in her face.


	18. A Prophecy

**Chapter 18: A Prophecy**

* * *

 **The old wise woman tells Stone about the ancient prophecy.**

* * *

Soaring rapidly down the mountainside, the ghost fled. In his panic, Jack was searching for the two wallabies, but he had no idea where they might have gone. Then he saw another fennec fox, who was older then Stone and the small tan fox in the light blue bowling shirt and tan cargo pants was standing next to a larger red fox in a blue tee-shirt and tan shorts. The coyote thought it was strange that the large fox was holding the paw of a small grey rabbit in a pink and blue checkered shirt and blue shorts. Without pause, he slammed into the larger fox in a desperate attempt to draw some attention. He expected to soar through the reddish-orange furred mammal but instead, he found himself stuck within the animal's psyche. "Well this was unexpected mate!" he snapped.

"What did you say Nick?" the rabbit suddenly asked him. She looked up in surprise and he noticed her unusual lavender eye color, he felt warmth and a sense of protectiveness from the fox he inhabited as if she was his mate.

"You can hear me?" she asked as he looked down at her.

"Wilde what's wrong with you!" the smaller fox snorted. "You got sunstroke or distemper?"

Jack realized that as he was inside the fox, he had control of the body and with a snarl, he ran up the mountainside street towards where the hut was located. "Hey Slick, where are you going?" the rabbit yelled as she and the smaller fox chased after him.

He didn't answer but rushed as fast as the fox could run towards the hut. He was impressed with how athletic the small candid was and soon he saw the two zombified cats, one of whom was carrying the body of the small tan furred fox.

"Stone!" the smaller fox behind him yelled, but Jack continued on and leaped into the first cat. His possessed body slammed into the undead creature, knocking it over and he, along with the unconscious fennec fox, fell into a heap on the ground.

Judy's eyes widen in surprise as the other mangy, bony cat turned and tried to grab Nick, she made a tremendous jump and brought both of her feet into the assailant's chest, knocking him out of the hut and onto the street.

Finn snarled as the snake slithered toward his son and he launched himself at the scaly creature. With drawn fangs, the venomous snake struck at the older fennec fox, who jumped out of the way of its strike. For Finn, it was almost as if instincts took over his body as he used his jaws and claws to strike the snake and then to leap out of range of its deadly bite. Finally, he chomped down on the creature just below its head and with his jaws snapped its neck. "Damn," he panted as he shook himself. "I didn't know that I had that in me!"

Their fighting had drawn the attention of the locals who came running and several were holding the two cats down on the ground as others helped the now fainted portly hutia to a chair that they had brought.

"Carrots…Judy…what is going on?" Nick asked when he found himself sitting on the dirt floor of the dilapidated hut. "Where am I?"

Judy knelt next to him and looked into his eyes, "You suddenly ran up the mountainside and attacked a nasty looking jaguar who was carrying Stone."

"I…I…don't remember?" Nick grunted as he stood and shook himself.

Judy knelt and she first checked Karen and then Stone's vitals. "They seem to be drugged," she called over to her husband. "Someone call the police."

"The constabulary is already here," a tall hutia in a white starched police uniform said as he joined the rabbit. "But this is more supernatural than a police matter. Those two are dead and have been so for over two hundred years."

The rabbit's ears shot up and her nose twitched as she looked from the uniformed rodent towards the two big cats. "That's impossible, they are alive and moving."

"No, they are moving, but they are far from alive," the constable grunted. "How is Mother Ju Ju doing?"

"Mother Ju Ju is just fine dear," the elderly blind hutia answered his question. "I am now that the damn serpent is dead. Please get me a shot of rum to get my blood flowing again. It seems that SHE has gotten loose, just as the prophecy says."

They brought Stone and Karen into another hut and laid them out on a bed, where they were cared for under the ministration of several of the locals. The two zombie cats were tied to a tree with sturdy chains, awaiting their removal by a police lorry.

It took several hours for Stone and Karen to awaken from their drugged induced sleep. They found the others were now sitting around a fire as the evening began to set in. A large crowd of the locals had joined them and a small feast of tropical favorites had been laid out for everyone to share. Baked green plantains, rice and peas, callaloo greens, green figs with salt fish, fried bread, and trays of local fruits were laid out on tables along with plenty of beer, wine, and rum.

The small fox yawned as he sat down on a chair and watched the crowd around the fire. His ears flicked when he heard one of the locals explain to Billy and Cooper, who had just arrived, that there was an old prophecy which said that a child of the desert will rise from the sea and release the witch from her entombment. His sacrifice by her paws would release the spell that bound her within the volcano on Saint Mary's Island and let her leave to once again rule the islands.

A hushed quiet came to the crowd when the portly priestess began to mumble out loud as she stared into the fire. "Silver...a bird…fire…death…," she spoke as she weaved before the flames. "Cold steel and molten fire…" She then awoke with a start and blinked her sightless eyes.

"What is it mother?" one of her followers asked.

"Baron Samedi roams the land and he tells me that only a child of the sand can end this!" she sighed.

All eyes turned towards the fennec fox, who now looked so young and venerable in the firelight. "Me?" he whimpered. "How can I stop a witch and her undead army?"

"You must face her in the volcano's womb," the old hutia replied. "Where fire and earth meet, silver is the key and so the old ones forged you a dagger of silver. If you plunge it into her withered heart, she will die for all times."

"Are you sure?" Billy interjected. "It seems there is more to this prophecy that just silver…what about that stuff about a bird?"

"The silver dagger has an engraving of an eagle upon it," one of the followers answered as he brought forward a stout wooden box and reverently lifted the knife from within. The knife was almost as long as the little fox was tall.

"No son of mine is going into some damned volcano to kill a supernatural beast!" Finn growled as he joined Stone, the older fox gently put his paw on his son's shoulder. "I say we get the hell off this island and back to the city!"

"A storm is brewing in the Eastern Sea, no airplane or ship will leave when it hits," the priestess replied. "Only Baron Samedi stalks those waves."

"But the weather forecast says it's supposed to be calm and sunny all week!" Judy protested. Her ears shot up when she heard the distant sound of thunder booming. "That's impossible!"

"Impossible or not, there's a bloody storm coming," Cooper snapped. "No one threatens my best mate! I've got your back Stoney!" The small wallaby defiantly looked around at the crowd.

"What will be, will be!" the priestess intoned. "The bones are cast, the final game begins and the lives of those around you are the prize. Try to flee if you may, but fate has a claim upon your soul Mister Stone Kole!"

Thunder ominously boomed again, louder this time and all eyes looked to the east.

"I've seen weather like this before mate," the ghost spoke to the fox. "All ships would be ahull, to ride it out or running for a port."

The fox shook his head and sighed, "Why does this always happen to me?" He stood and took the long knife in his paw, holding it aloft in the firelight.

Marie looked at the fox, his shirt was torn from battle and holding the gleaming knife like a sword above him, he looked like a wolf warrior of old ready to do battle against the gods themselves…only smaller…skinnier…and with big ears. With his ruffled fur, he was very handsomely cute and absentmindedly her paw reached up to push aside the silver necklace with the shell that she wore around her neck, so she could grasp her other necklace, the one with the small bottle of sand, as she sighed.


	19. Kitnapped!

**Chapter 19: Kitnapped!**

* * *

 **Stone has no choice but to follow his fate after the witch's minions capture Karen.**

* * *

The small fox frowned as he put the large silver knife back into its box. "Are you saying that I have to go over to Saint Mary's Island, find an opening into an active volcano, and then fight my way through a horde of undead zombies to stab whatever she is in the heart with this knife?"

"That is exactly what I am telling you," the portly priestess replied as she leaned back on her ratty old rattan chair and sipped at her tea. "Your only other option is to die."

"Not much of a choice," Billy interjected. "Why don't you just call in the marines or someone who are fighters, I mean look at this guy does he look like the kind of fella you'd want the fate of the world to hinge upon?"

"Gee thanks…I think?" Stone sighed to the wallaby.

"Nothing personal Stone, but you are skinny and wiry. I mean, you'd expect the guy who fate picked to do this would look more like Rip Rock, all beef and brawn."

"He's got a point there son," Finn added. "You're more the lover than the fighter. You just don't have that killer instinct inside of you. This is more like something Storm would be good at, not you!"

"I don't pick them, I just prophesy to them," the hutia chuckled as she waved a palm frond in front of her like a fan. "Now go eat something, you'll need your strength dear." Stone walked as if he was condemned as he made his way to the table of food and along the way, someone stuck a bottle of beer with a red stripe on it and he took a deep chug from it.

"So now what mate?" Cooper asked as he approached the fox. "We cut and run, leaving these blokes to their fate or do we stay and fight?"

Thunder cracked across the night sky again and the fox's ears picked up the distant sound of rain approaching. "First we find someplace out of the rain," he sighed. "Then we talk with my dad, Nick, and Judy to see what our options really are. The locals were hurrying as they pulled the food into a large community hut before the rain fell. "Can we really just abandon these folks?"

Droplets of rain fell onto the dirt road around him as he turned to find Karen, but she wasn't where she was standing a few moments again. "Karen!" he called out several times, but she didn't respond. "Has anyone seen Karen?" he asked around, but no one had and it was as if she had just vanished.

"I have a bad feeling about this!" Finn growled as he and Nick returned from looking around. "A really, really, really bad feeling."

A few minutes earlier, the sand cat was sitting around the fire fidgeting with the small bottle of sand that hung around her neck. The bottle of sand was a love gift from Stone that he gave her long before any of this had started. She watched as the fennec fox was talking to the portly priestess, then she heard a noise behind her and she turned to see a small local girl, wearing what appeared to be rags, crying in the darkness. She stood up and walked over to her, leaning over to ask if she was alright but instead of answering, the strange creature grabbed her by the neck and with supernatural strength, threw her into some bushes. She tried to scream, but the little girl like wraith was quickly upon her and threw more of that blue powder into her face, quickly darkness overcame her.

"No one has seen Karen anywhere!" Billy huffed out because he was out of breath from frantically running around looking for the cat. "You don't think that the witch took her?"

"Why would she do that?" Stone asked. "I thought it was me that she wanted?"

"A hostage, she knows that you will come to save Karen," Nick growled as he looked down at the small fox. "We need to stop them before they get her off this island!"

"Too late for that mate," Cooper interjected. "Our ghostly friend over there says that they took her to the harbor and she's on a motorboat already heading to sea."

"Are they crazy? The storm has made the sea too choppy to go out into it with a boat!" Finn yelled.

"Still we have to save her," Stone pleaded to his father. He looked at the older fennec foxes in desperation. "I have to try!" Finn nodded and sighed.

"So where are we going to get a boat?" a familiar voice spoke from out of the rainy darkness and a very soaked meerkat stepped into the feeble light, his arms were full of various objects.

"I may not give a damn about the pirate, but I do about Karen and you too Stoney," he said as he dropped the armful of potential weapons onto the ground. There were two oversized cricket bats, a machete, a rusted steel rod, and several kitchen knives. "This is all I could find."

"Come on!" Finn yelled as he snatched up one of the bats and ran down the street towards the waterfront.

Stone found his way blocked by a large hutia, who grimly looked at him and pulled out a small sack, inside was an ancient-looking pistol and several bullets. "It's illegal to own this, but my father hid it for such a day," the local fisherman explained. "May the gods protect you!"

Stone picked up the gun and looked it over, before handing it to Nick. "Here fox, I have the silver knife," he returned back to the box he had left earlier and drew out the large knife before following his father down the hillside.

By the time they made it to the harbor, Finn had picked out a speed boat for them to use and Nick was impressed as the small fox dug into the boat's rear hatch and found the correct wires to cross to get it to start. "It's like stealing…" he began to say until he saw Judy standing there. "I meant borrowing a car."

Judy looked up at Nick and then down at the boat, she looked conflicted and was hesitant. "Maybe we should go to the Inspector…" she started to say.

"He wouldn't believe us and certainly wouldn't send a boat out in this weather," Nick cut her off as he climbed aboard. "I'm not going to let them hurt Karen if I can help it, you can go tell the Constabulary if you want to Carrots."

She nodded and hopped aboard the boat. "You're right Nick!" she replied with a determined tone in her voice. "Too bad, I liked being a cop." Nick pulled her into his lap and kissed her.

Once everyone had boarded, Finn put the boat into full speed as they tore out of the berth into the harbor and then into the howling winds of the foaming sea beyond.

Holding on for dear life, the rabbet called over to Stone. "Do we have any idea how far ahead they are?"

"Our ghostly friend doesn't seem to be with us," Billy added. "I wonder where he went?"

The sea's swells tossed the boat around and they almost were swamped. Stone looked grimly around him and then gently put his paw into the briny water. "You know me, they have Karen and you know her too," he whispered towards the churning waters. As if the sea heard and understood him, the waves calmed down enough to allow the small boat to speed forward into the stormy night.

Jack wasn't anywhere near his fellow rescuers, but the ghost had sped across the water to catch up with the boat full of zombies. Frantically, he looked around for any way to stop or delay the craft, but he had no idea how the contraption worked since there was no sail. He hovered over the bound up cat and sighed in relief when he saw she was unhurt, it was then that he saw the anchor. Moving forward to the bow, he gave it a mighty shove as he tried to push it overboard with hopes it would slow down the boat. The iron anchor was too heavy for him to move in his current state, but he concentrated and tried again and it moved slightly. Just as he began to push again, a bony paw reached over and grabbed it from his spectral grip. He turned to look into the hollow eyes of the rat-like creature who snarled at him. "So you can see me mate!" the coyote said to the once alive hutia. "Then tell your mistress that I'm coming for her and I will get me revenge, savvy?" Abandoning the boat, he fled across the stormy waters to find his mortal allies.


	20. The Avenger

**Chapter 20: The Avenger**

* * *

 **Stone and his pals rush to rescue Karen and battle zombies.**

* * *

Stone Kole stood upon the bow despite the tossing waters and grimly looked into the weather torn darkness before him. His clothes, like those of his companions, were soaked but he just stared ahead as low growl emitted from his throat and his fangs were barred. His right paw stroked the eagle engraved on the silver knife which was tucked in his belt and his left paw clutched the shell that hung on a cord around his neck, it was a gift from his lover who had been taken from him. His eyes watched as something came towards the speeding motorboat and his eyes caught the almost intangible image of the ghostly pirate that was approaching. "Where is she!" he howled into the wind. "Where is my Karen!"

Judy leaned against her fox and looked at the smaller fox standing in front of them. She had heard his anguish cry and only the lightning's flash and thunder seem to reply. "How can he stand up in this?" she asked out loud as she clung to the boat as it tossed.

"He is a child of the waves," Reggie answered. "A surf rider and the best of us all, these waves are nothing to him."

Judy looked over at the meerkat who was running his paw along the edges of two large kitchen knives that he held.

Jack stopped and hovered in front of the approaching boat and, he was impressed by the look the wet fox gave him. He knew from battle experience that the little fennec fox was on the verge of savagery. "Luv you picked the wrong enemy," he said to himself before he approached the craft. "This one will chew your undead heart out with his teeth if he has to."

Stone blinked away the rain on his face and looked at the ghost. "Where is she Jack?" he yelled out to the ghost.

Finn looked up at his son and he knew that he couldn't see the ghost himself, but his son did. "Ask him how far ahead they are son," he called.

"You won't catch them at sea," the ghost replied to the older fox's question. "She's unharmed, but they will be ashore before you reach land."

"Can we go any faster, father?" Stone called back to Finn. "Karen's still alive, but we can't catch them at this pace."

"She's going full throttle son!" Finn replied. "I'm giving her all she's got, but the sea is still too rough."

The younger fox didn't respond, but instead knelt and looked down into the dark briny waves. "I don't know if she commands this storm, but you know me," he said to the sea with tears in his eyes. "You've called to me so many times and I came, you warned me of the great wave and now I need you to help me save Karen." Tears ran down his cheeks and splashed into the water below and as they touched the water, the sea began to calm itself and the storm became silent as the witch's spell was broken by the tears of true love. The small boat picked up speed as it sailed through the now gentle waves.

"Blimey mate!" Cooper exclaimed. "What just happened?"

Stone didn't answer but just stood again and fondled the seashell around his neck with his paw again. It still took them too long to arrive at Saint Mary's Island and they saw the abandoned boat floating offshore when they arrived. Overhead, the moon now shone down upon them as the Finn crashed their boat into the sandy shore. The young fox leapt off the boat into the surf and waded towards the jungle. "Stone wait!" Nick called out. "We need a plan."

The small fox turned back to face them, "I have a plan and it's to free Karen and kill that bitch!" He drew his silver knife and waving over his head ran into the darkness.

Nick tried to quickly organize the others and made sure everyone had a weapon. He looked back as the frantic fennec fox returned and looked around. "Where's Jack?" Stone asked, he looked rather embarrassed and less vengeful. "I can't find an entry into the volcano in the dark."

"We need to stay together son," Finn answered. "You can't run off by yourself or they'll get you too."

The younger fox growled and yelled for the ghost, who arrived back to the boat and hovered above them. "There's a tunnel to the west of here, it looks like they dug their way out of the carven over the last few hundred years," he told them. Armed and ready, the small group of friends followed the spirit into the jungle and towards a dark hole in the side of the mountain. They hadn't gone far into the dark interior, using their cell phones as flashlights, when they stumbled across a group of vacant-eyed hutias guarding the entrance. "She must have zombified the whole tribe that lived here!" the ghost exclaimed.

Silently the undead creatures stumbled their way towards the living with paws outstretched. "Shoot them, Wilde!" Finn yelled. Nick took aim at the first one and fired the ancient pistol, the gun's retort was deafening and the bullet slammed into the body of the first zombie sending it sprawling onto the ground. Then it slowly crawled to stand and, even though there was a large hole in its chest, it barely slowed down its stumbling advance towards them.

"They're zombies, fox!" Billy cried out. "You have to shoot them in the head, like in the movies!"

Nick took aim again and fired, the bullet shattered the head of another hutia who just staggered and then began flail about and aimlessly swipe with its bony claws. "Well that didn't work," Nick muttered. "I think all I did was to make it madder."

"Hakuna Matata!" Reggie screamed as he charged into the zombies with his two knives flashing. Finn followed, waving the cricket bat over his head and then slamming it down on the first zombie. They quickly found that although they couldn't kill the creatures, they could disable them and pass them by. With their arms and legs either broken or cut off, the zombies rolled around on the ground and snapped their teeth at Stone and the others.

Panting, Billy looked over at the meerkat and asked, "Hakuna Matata, is that your tribe's war cry? I thought it means no worries?"

"It sort of does," the meerkat panted out. "It was the only meerkataness could think of."

"She's got Karen!" Stone growled as he looked at the others. "We need to hurry!" He turned and ran further into the darkened tunnel toward a distant light.

"He's not thinking this out! Nick sighed as raced after the smaller fox. Finn didn't answer, but just growled as he too followed his son down the tunnel.

Stone charged into a vast cavern, which was lit by deep pools of red hot magma, and the heat was almost overwhelming. The small fox skidded to a halt and looked in awe at the small army of zombies that stood in front of him. His ears drooped and his tail bristled in anger, behind them in a small hanging metal cage was Karen. "Stoney!" she wailed out. "Run before she gets you!"

A black cat-like creature stepped from a dark corner. "So the lover has come to save his cat?" she spoke in a sweet hypnotic voice. "Come embrace me and set me free." Her paws were outstretched and he found himself stumbling towards her as if he had to do what she commanded.

"Her voice is magical mates!" the ghost warned. "Don't listen to it! She can bewitch any male like she did me."

"Oh, I've gotten better at it since I killed you," the witch laughed. "Now any male will do as I command."

Billy shot forward and grabbed Stone's arm. "Steady Stone," he said as he stopped the bewildered fox. His paw slapped the fennec fox on his nose and the fox stopped and blinked at him.

"Surely you will do what I want," she sang to the wallaby. "Listen to my voice."

Judy looked around and all the males were standing entranced and looking at the queen. "Nick we've got to stop her!" she called out as she pulled at this arm, but the red fox just stared.

Jack looked around in a panic, the queen was winning and there seemed to be little he could do to stop her. He dove at the red fox again, hoping what happened before would happen again, and as he slammed into the fox's consciousness, he realized that he was once again in control of Nick's body. "So luv, your voice doesn't seem to work on me now I'm a ghostee," he called out in an unfamiliar voice. It was then he realized that the fox was holding the gun. Rising the pistol, he pointed it at the feline creature and took aim before he pulled the trigger.

BANG! The sound was deafening again and echoed around the room. He pulled the trigger again and again, each time to be rewarded with the sound of the pistol discharging before it finally clicked empty. "Not bad mate!" he commented with a grin as he held up the pistol. "Better than the old single shot ball wheellock I once owned." He looked back at the witch and saw that the first two rounds had caught her in the chest, but it was the second two that did the most damage by having hit her in her throat and it was now was in tatters. "If I can't kill you luv, at least I can shut you up!"

Stone shook his head and let out a snarl as he looked first at the red fox and then over at the witch. "Someone get Karen free and out of here!" he called out as he jumped towards the creature as she now took refuge behind her zombies. The undead creatures charged forward trying to grab the rescuers with their bony paws.

Nick stumbled backward as the ghost was knocked out of his body and blinked in confusion. "He did it again, didn't he Carrots?" he asked.

"Just get your game on Slick!" the rabbit replied as she hopped into several of the undead hutias, her kicks knocking them backward. "We've got to clear a patch for Stone!"

Nick looked down at the empty gun, before throwing it towards the mass of zombies and then saw a pair of old rusted cutlasses in the cavern's rubble. Picking them up, he swung them as he charged into the milling mass of zombies. Although the creatures were slow and mindless, they were many and it quickly looked like Stone and his friends would be overwhelmed by them.

Suddenly Stone saw his opening and ran, it is said that a fennec fox when he is young and in full athletic stature is one of the fastest animals alive and capable of reaching over twenty miles per hour in a sprint. The young fox was almost a blur as he weaved his way towards the Voodoo Queen. At the last moment, he leapt off a small boulder and into the air with the silver sword-like knife poised before him. With a yowl, he slammed into the larger cat-like creature, driving the blade deep into her heart. "Die bitch!" he yelled. But instead of collapsing the creature grabbed the fox by his neck and looked down at the knife in her chest before reaching up and plucking it out.

"It didn't work!" Billy exclaimed as everyone stopped and looked at the small fox in the clutches of their undead foe.

"Stoney!" Karen screamed as she shook the cage. "Noooo!"

The creature gave them an evil smile as she held the little fox in her paws and began to choke him. Stone gasped as the queen's bony paw squeezed his throat tighter while he desperately clawed and struggled against her deathly grip.

Karen looked over at him in panic from within the cage where she was imprisoned, the undead zombies pulled at her arms and something flashed in one of their paws. The cat recognized it was the silver necklace that she and Stone had bought in the market when they first arrived. When her eyes locked on the image of the bird engraved on the silver shell, it was as if the sun shone through the mists within her mind and she had a sudden revelation. "Silver…bird…not the knife but the necklace!" she triumphantly called out to the helpless ghost. "The bird is a sparrow! Your name is Sparrow…Captain Jack Sparrow!"


	21. A Ghostly Resurrection

**Chapter 21: A Ghostly Resurrection**

* * *

 **The battle looks lost, but they are saved by Jack.**

* * *

The young sandy brown-furred fox gasped as the queen's bony paw squeezed his throat tighter while he desperately clawed and struggled within her deathly grip. "Silver…bird…not the knife but the necklace!" He heard the caged sand cat triumphantly call out to the ghost. "The bird is a sparrow! Your name is Sparrow…Captain Jack Sparrow!"

A blue light flashed through the cavern and the coyote found himself entombed back in his own rotting body, he desperately pulled at the rusted iron chains which held him prisoner and surprisingly they gave way. He pushed himself out from underneath the jewels and coins, the treasure that they had buried him with, and shoved against the walls with all his might. The deteriorated ancient mortar in the joints crumbled as it gave way and as the stones fell into a heap, he snatched up his tricorne hat from amongst the treasure as he stepped out into the larger cavern. With a grin, he bowed towards the sand cat. "Captain Jack Sparrow at you service, luv," he called out as he placed his hat upon his head and drew his sword. The blade flicked out and sliced the lock from the cage door, liberating the cat within. With her now free, the undead coyote's sword flashed in the firelight as he began a deadly dance and soon zombified arms and heads were chopped off by his blows as he worked his way toward the creature that had tormented him for centuries.

In the grasp of the undead queen, Stone's body went slack as he lost his consciousness and he didn't hear the desperately swung bat crack her arm, sending him sprawling onto the chamber's floor at the feet of his angry father. Despite the older fennec fox's much smaller size, his blows drove the creature back from his son, until she managed to finally seize the bat with her paws and yank it from his grip. She raised the bat above her head and Finn snarled at her as he shielded his son with his own body from the killing blow that he knew was coming.

That blow never came when Jack gripped her paw with his own, keeping her from completing her strike. He drove his sword into her belly, but she didn't even flinch. Releasing his sword, he shoved her backward and dragged the small fox away from the edge. Finn gave the coyote a strange look as the pirate pulled a small ring off his pinky and shoved it into Stone's pocket. "Tell him it's for the girl, mate."

There was a snarl as the witch charged at him and he grabbed her with both of his arms. "Come into your lover's embrace," he growled as he seized her. She bit down on his shoulder, but he felt no pain. "Time for our last dance, savvy?" The coyote lifted her from the ground and stumbled with her towards the edge of the cliff. She gurgled through her ruined voice in angry desperation, trying to curse at him in a language long forgotten. "See you in hell mate!" he called over to Finn, who stared at him with wide eyes. Then with one last shove, Jack fell with the witch still locked in his arms into the fiery lava below.

Finn looked down, but the only thing he saw was Jack's strange hat floating on the magma before it caught fire. Around him the zombies had halted their attacks and began to aimlessly wander directionless and without purpose.

"We won?" Karen asked. The cat had Stone's head in her lap and looked over at the other small fox with desperate eyes.

Unbeknownst to them the witch had survived and was crawling out of the magma, she snarled when she saw that her silky black fur was burned off to the bone. "Fire and silver together," she grimly rasped out as she continued to climb out of the pit.

"These mortals just don't understand the simplest prophecies do they?" a voice spoke behind her and she turned to see what looked like a hutia hunched over picking something shiny from off of a stone. When he looked up, she saw that the creature had a skeleton face and was wearing a black top hat.

"Baron!" she hissed. "You have no claim on me now!"

"Death has had a claim on you since you were born my child," the master of the dead replied as he held the silver knife up. Without pause, he walked across the magma towards her. He paused and reached down to light his cigar in the lava.

"You're not a child of the desert," she scoffed in a raw voice as the smaller being walked nearer to her.

"You are right, but these are my islands and not yours, so I decide who lives around here," the baron laughed as he reached out and touched her arm. The fur immediately grew back and she wheezed as she took her first breath in over two hundred years. The queen gasped as the knife was plunged into her now beating heart. "I also decide who dies here too!" Her eyes faded in final death as she stumbled and fell into the fiery pit below. Standing above the flames, the small hutia like creature took off his top hat as he watched her disappear and held it over his chest as if he was in grief, before taking a puff from his cigar. "Say hello to my friends on the other side," he chuckled and smiled. "Now I think I've earned myself a nice glass of rum!"

Above in the cavern, Finn's ears drooped as the mountain rumbled and the magma began to bubble. Karen looked up to watch as Nick leaned over and picked up Stone from her embrace. He tenderly carried him toward the tunnel.

"We need to get the hell out of here before it blows!" Finn said to the others. Then he led them racing down the tunnels, shoving any of the zombies aside. The heat of the rising magma singed their fur and finally, they broke out of the mountainside and into the cool night air. They kept running towards the boat on the beach as the ground rumbled and the volcano above them belched smoke.

"We're not going to make it, are we mate?" Cooper gasped. He grabbed Billy's paw and helped the other wallaby through the surf and into the boat.

Finn looked back at the hopper and then at the mountain, he knew that Cooper was right. He helped Nick lay his still unconscious son into the boat and then assisted the cat as she climbed aboard. With a grunt, Nick shoved them off into the surf. The motor sputtered and died as Judy started it and he looked past her to see that the fuel line had ruptured and the gasoline had leaked into the sea. Silently, the older fennec fox crawled over to his son and Karen, he embraced them both. "I'm sorry…" he whispered. Beside him Nick held Judy and Cooper hugged Billy.

"It's going to blow!" Reggie said as he stood in the bow.

Then there was a strange noise, as if the mountain burped, and one last puff of white smoke shot into the air before everything went silent. "Well, that was melodramatic!" Reggie exclaimed. But then he noticed instead of magma, a flood of the undead spewed from the tunnel towards them!

Karen held Stone and grimly sighed as she looked at the army of now disorganized tattered zombies that stumbled across the beach towards the boat. Her ears flicked as she heard Finn call out, "Well Wilde, this looks like our last stand buddy!" The smaller fox snarled as he picked up an oar.

"We may not be able to kill these things, but we can still make them regret they messed with us!" Nick replied. As the desperate fox and his allies turned to defend themselves, they didn't see the seals in police wetsuits that rose out of the sea behind them. Finn yelped in surprise when a stream of flame spewed from behind him and a group of zombies burst into flames.

"Take your time boys!" a voice with an islander's musical accent called out from the sea and the fox turned to see their rescuers, a large sea lion had a silver tank on his back and was holding a hose which spouted fire. "Time to burn these bloody walkers back to hell and finally put an end to this!"

* * *

Hours later, the Inspector sternly looked at the now awake surfer and his friends as they dejectedly sat across the table from him in the police station. "There was a reason we never let anyone develop Saint Mary's Island, it was appropriately called Island of the Damned because it was exactly that!" he yelled. "You unleashed the Queen from her prison sealed inside of the volcano."

"She's dead!" Finn growled back as he stood on the chair. The fennec fox had enough of having to listen to what he considered a self-righteous, narrow-minded mammal. "She was killed by Captain Sparrow."

"Captain Jack Sparrow!" the hutia scoffed. "He's been dead and gone for centuries."

"His body and treasure were sealed in the cavern with the Voodoo Queen," Stone tried to explain. "But, his ghost came to us for help and we freed both is body and soul. He struggled with her and they both fell into the lava, he was a hero!"

"You expect me to believe that you were helping a ghost of a long lost pirate?" the Inspector sarcastically laughed. "Do you really expect me to believe in ghosts?"

"You bloody well believed in zombies, mate," Cooper snapped back.

"It doesn't matter, because whatever was sealed in that cavern is long gone. Burned out by the purifying fires of nature itself," the hutia grumbled. "If there was a treasure, it too has been destroyed."

Stone's ears wilted as he looked over at his best friend. The wallaby just shrugged, "Easy come and easy go, mate."

"Now get this through your thick skulls, this is what is now going to now happen," the Inspector said as he stood in his chair and pounded on the table with his small paw. "You have exactly twenty-four hours to get your affairs in line before you GET OFF MY ISLAND!"

"But the movie!" Reggie objected. "We're supposed to be in the movie!"

"I DON'T CARE!" the Inspector snarled. "NOW GET OUT!"

"He's kind of like a pint-sized Bogo when he loses his temper," Nick snickered.

"I just got fired for doing the right thing!" Stone groaned.

"Welcome to the life of a fox!" Finn laughed as he threw his arm around his son's shoulder. "We can't catch a break from the cops, even here in paradise."

Nick just grinned as he stood and stretched, "You forget this fox is a cop, so let's get packing."

By the time they got to the resort, things had changed for the three surfers, Karen and Billy. The news was delivered by Rip Rock himself that the Island's Governor-General had decided that they could stay to finish the movie. The big muscular bull in the light grey cotton shirt and white slacks reminded them in no uncertain terms that the Inspector did not run the island. Nick, Judy, and Finn, however, were still required to leave as part of a compromise to placate the irate hutia. "So the business community is ecstatic with finally being able to develop Saint Mary's Island," the bull continued as he sipped a cool drink, while trying to get more comfortable in the undersized sofa that was in Stone's bungalow. "Pirate ghosts, voodoo queens, and zombies make a great idea for my next movie! Of course my friend's downtown will deny the whole thing happened and the zombies will have to be the brain-eating types. Maybe you five can be in the film?"

"Surfing zombies!" Reggie enthusiastically added.

"I think I'd rather pass," Stone sighed. "I barely lived through the real thing and once is more than enough."

"So are we really confined to quarters?" the meerkat asked. "I still haven't even put my board in the water."

"No, you are confined to the resort," Rip corrected him. "There's a beach with good waves just down the trail."

"But the best waves are at buccaneer's cove," Reggie complained. "That's not inside the resort."

The bull shrugged and grinned. "You know the thing about Saint Sly is that it is a resort island…if you catch my drift? As for the Bay, it's only locals down there and everyone knows the story of the Voodoo Queen and her zombies, its island folklore. Didn't any of you just happen to wonder why the government already had a special team of cops trained to burn zombies? I'm sure there is more in the Royal Archives which tourist will never know about and even most of the locals. Until then zombies and pirates will be just something for us to make money from."

They quietly sat in the room, survivors stress had set in now that the excitement was over. "I bloody well sill expect him to pop up and say boo," Cooper muttered almost to himself.

Billy put a paw on his lover's knee and looked over at Stone. "So the prophecy was wrong?" he asked. "You drove the silver knife into her chest and she just tore it out."

"Silver...a bird…fire…death…," Stone replied. "Maybe I wasn't the one the prophecy was about?" He looked at Karen and reached over to find the silver necklace was gone. "It was that strange silver necklace with the bird engraved on a seashell that led you to figure out who Jack really was and free him of his curse. I freed his spirit and so doing so was the child of the desert who rose from the sea and released the Queen too. But you were the child of the desert who rose from the sea who saved his soul and Jack was a coyote, another child of the desert, who rose from the sea and ended her reign. It took all three of us to do what needed to be done." His paw slipped into his shorts pocket and he touched the ring that was inside, a parting gift from the pirate.

"They say that three is a holy number," Rip grunted.

Cooper stood up and walked towards the minibar, opening a small bottle of rum he held it in his paw. "Well here's to bloody Captain Jack Sparrow," he called out. "Bless the wanker for what he did!" He tossed the drink down in one gulp and wheezed a bit after he swallowed. "How the bloody hell did he drink this stuff raw?"


	22. Redemption on a Beach

**Chapter 22: Redemption on a Beach**

* * *

 **Jack awaits judgment for his sins and Stone asks Karen to marry him.**

* * *

The pirate sat on the beach, the white sand glistened around him and the surf gently crashed before his gazing eyes. The coyote felt her presence before he heard her soft tread upon the beach and when he turned to look up, he wasn't surprised to see a lamb in the white robe. He shielded his eyes from the glowing halo around her head. "Are ye here to judge me for me sins, luv?" he softly asked in a strained tone.

"Your sins are many and some are great," she replied in a voice that was pleasantly musical to his ears. "Should you be punished for them, Jack?"

"Do I have a choice?" he replied as she stood next to him. He sighed and looked back at the peaceful blue sky and the darker blue of the sea.

"You had a choice when you saved the others," she answered. "Perhaps you should have time to make other choices?" He was startled when she changed herself into the tigress that he had rescued from the shark.

"Time has not been me friend," he grunted as he stood and then knelt in submission before the tiger who was once a lamb. "Being undead gives you plenty of time to reflect on your past life, savvy?"

"Then perhaps time is what I should punish you with?" a very deep male voice spoke. He looked up to see that the lamb was now a regal-looking male lion in old fashioned plate armor who reached down with a massive paw and bopped him on his nose.

Jack's ears flicked as he heard a voice call out from behind him, "Are you alright Captain?" He turned and saw his first mate, a portly capybara, standing next to a rowboat that was drawn up on the beach. Behind him in the distance was the _Pearl_ with her black sails stowed as she waited for her captain's return.

"Alright? That I am Mister Gibbs," he replied as he stood up. "I've never been better in me life!"

* * *

The surfer sat on the beach, the white sand glistened around him and the surf gently crashed before his gazing eyes. The fox felt her presence before he heard her soft tread upon the beach and when he turned to look up, he wasn't surprised to see the sand cat in the white beach robe. "So are we the only ones to remember the truth about Jack?" he asked her.

"Somehow history's changed," she replied as she sat down next to him and opened his book about famous pirates and read to him. "Captain Jack Sparrow was once the scourge of the Seven Seas, but he gave up his wayward ways after he was left stranded by Barbarossa on a deserted island. He escaped and returned to Tortuga, where he raised another crew and aboard his new ship named the _Redemption_ to sailed eastward across the ocean to the Sahara Coast. What is remembered about the pirate is only from legends and tales about him battling the Slavers of Styggia and freeing those in bondage. He also recovered the treasure of Simona and returned it to that city's impoverished citizens. There are also several farfetched stories that he slew the mystical sirens of the Aegean Islands and battled the keeper of drowned souls named Davy Jones."

"He named his ship the _Redemption_?" Stone sighed. "So, he had a good soul after all."

"Now my dear fox, you still have to do your part in the movie," Karen added as she snuggled closer into his arms. "We also have dinner tonight with your father before he goes home."

Stone pulled the coin from his pocket and frowned at the gold doubloon. "Too bad the treasure was lost," he sighed "But how did this coin make it all the way from that cave on Saint Mary's to over here?" He shook his head and leaned back into the sand, pulling her on top of him as they kissed. "OW!"

"What's wrong Stoney?" Karen asked as she rolled off of him and watched as he rubbed the back of his head.

"There's something in the sand!' he replied as he dug around and pulled up a weathered plank.

"What's that?" she asked as she crawled closer and peered down at the faded lines etched into the board that he held in his paws.

Stone wiped the sand off the board and laughed, "That sneaky coyote had two hidden treasures!"

"You're joking, right?" she said as he wiped off more sand.

* * *

Days later, he was dressed in his best suit and sitting in a large white painted room inside the Royal Governor's mansion. Sitting next to him was the attorney who Rip had found for him, a group of attorneys representing the hotel, and several government officials. "So the treasure belonged to the pirate Jack Sparrow," the well-dressed official in a white suit said. "Gold, rubies, diamonds, and even a sword were located where your map said to dig. Half of everything will go to the people of the islands or at least the government. The hotel owners have a claim for one forth because it is their property and you Mister Kole can make a claim for the remaining portion."

"How much is my client's portion expected to be worth?" Stone's lawyer asked.

"Based on previous finds though the world and the value of the artifacts we have located, he can expect well over a few million bucks," a government account answered. "Most of the treasure was an unusually large amount of locally made rum which is of questionable quality and safety. I'm afraid that will have to be disposed of correctly and has no value."

Stone grinned at the thought of the pirate and his rum. "What of the sword, it has Captain Sparrow's name on it?" he asked.

"We are making a claim on it for the museum, along with the plank of wood you found," the accountant replied.

"Good, I just didn't want it sold," Stone said with a sigh of relief. "Captain Sparrow needs to be remembered for his deeds, both good and bad."

"Mister Kole, you're now a rather wealthy fox!" the lawyer laughed. "So what are you going to do now?"

"Well my share is going to be split with my friends, we all have a claim on it," the small fox answered as he sat back in the chair. His ears shot erect as he listened intently to a sound beyond the noises of the town. She was calling him and he smiled as he heard the sea beckoning him. "But right now I going surfing again!" he laughed.

* * *

Hours later, Stone rode his board towards the shore, playing out the last of the wave. He smiled as he looked back at the cat, she moved with feline grace as she and her board danced on the water. Then suddenly she slipped and fell into the frothy surf, appearing moments later with a grin on her face as she swam towards shore and his large ears could catch her laughter. Looking around, he saw the sea, sand, and the jungle-covered mountains beyond. The locals were surfing, talking, laughing and dancing to reggae music at the palm-covered beachfront bar. Overhead, a few gulls lazily guided above him as they continued their flight inland. He looked back as the cat shook the water off before launching herself into his arms and as his arms encompassed her, the little fox knew he had found a bit of heaven on earth.

They kissed and she grabbed a towel from the pile on the beach, he watched as she dried herself off and marveled at how beautiful she looked with the sun shining upon her. She smiled at him, her green eyes sparkling with happiness and he instinctively knew this was the time and place. The fox reached into his beach bag and dug out what he was looking for and with it clenched tightly in his paw he approached her. "So Stoney…" she began but hesitated in confusion as he went down on one knee in the surf.

"Karen…" he began and then sighed. "I love you with all my heart and soul and my life is complete when you are with me." He hesitated and swallowed. "What I mean, is would you marry me?"

She gasped in surprise while looking at the blue diamond ring in his paw which he held towards her, it was the ring which Jack had given him that fateful day in the volcano. Then she nodded as with tears of joy, she once again launched herself into his arms. They fell together into the surf as they kissed and she sat on his lap as he slipped the ring onto her digit. Another wave gently encompassed them, it was as if the sea was pushing her back into his embrace and they kissed again.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the meerkat approaching them, but instead of being his usually intruding self, Reggie quickly walked the other way and left them to their privacy. They made out in the surf for a few more moments before they noticed that all eyes on the beach were watching them. Blushing, Karen disengaged herself from his arms and stood, she didn't say anything but just held her left paw towards the crowd. The murmurings turned into cheers and applause as Stone stood up and slipped his arms around her waist. "It's party time!" someone called out and the reggae music began to play again as Cooper and Billy walked over with drinks for them in their paws.

"It's about bloody time," Cooper laughed as he hugged them both. For Stone Kole, it was a perfect day in paradise.


	23. Fair Dinkum Mate!

**Chapter 23: Fair dinkum mate!**

* * *

 **Cooper reunites with his family, while Finn's van breaks down.**

* * *

The small fennec fox in the multi-colored striped Baja hoodie and tan cargo pants looked under the ferry's railings towards the distant shore. Unlike the coast of Sahara Square, with its mammal made miracles and tall buildings, the other side of the strait was misty and mysterious. There were no huge heaters that blasted dry hot air and so over here nature reigned supreme as the old-growth tall pine trees towered into the clouds of mist above, showing the grandeur of the temperate rain forest in all its primal glory. He heard her with his large ears as she approached him before the tan furred sand cat in the cheery yellow sundress slipped a paw around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "Are you feeling better!" the Karen asked with a smile as her other paw soothingly stroked one of his ears.

"Well the hangover is gone," Stone Kole answered with a shrug as he put his arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer. "Praise the gods for the miracles of modern medicine, it sure is amazing what two aspirin can do."

"Yeah, it must have been a wild bachelor's party you guys threw for Cooper and Billy. By the time you got home, you were two sheets to the wind."

"You left me sleeping on the kitchen floor too," he jokingly accused her. "Just left me sprawled out on those cold hard tiles."

"I threw a blanket over you!" she giggled. "You should know it is your fault that you're too big for me to move and your dad just kind of said ' _Here, he's your problem now!'_ before he plopped you down."

"I'm never getting drunk like that again!" he sighed as he felt her now rubbing his back with her paw.

"I kept the sign that was around your neck."

"What sign?"

"The one that said that you were straight and Cooper's best friend. I guess they pinned it on the back of your shirt at Rascals and it was probably a good thing too, otherwise you might have awoken in some poor guy's bed."

Rascals was a notoriously rowdy gay bar in downtown Sahara Square famously known for its comic cabaret.

"That might have been softer than the kitchen tiles," he grunted as he gave her a mischievous sideways glance. She snuggled closer into his arms and let out a content sigh before they both turned their attention to the distant shoreline.

"Hey Stoney!" a voice called out as Reggie joined them. "Hell of a party last night…at least I think it was?" The meerkat frowned a little before shrugging. "Cooper and Billy have some wild friends, at least that cute little meerkat I set my sights on turned out to be a female otherwise I'd have embarrassed myself."

"You embarrassed yourself enough on the dance floor as it was, mate," Cooper chuckled as he approached his three friends. "Everyone wanted to know who that two pot screamer was trying to dance on the pole."

"I was pole dancing?" Reggie said in a shocked voice. "I don't remember that! Hey, what is a two-pot screamer anyways? Could you please stop using that Outback lingo?"

"It means that you can't hold your booze, brah," the fox answered for the wallaby.

"Oh, so you were two-pot screamers also!" Karen purred as she flicked his left ear gently with her paw, causing him to wince.

Stone looked at her and sighed before he retaliated by swatting her tail. He then looked towards the shore and his ears shot up straight when he saw a large sleek black limousine parked at the ferry's terminal. "Someone's traveling in style," he commented.

"That's probably my mum! She probably took the train to Tundratown and then a limo around the point and down to Sea Side," Cooper excitedly replied.

"From a train to a limo?" Reggie snickered as he joined them along the railing. "Slumming to a luxury ride, that's unusual. Why didn't she just get a rental and drive?"

"She won't drive in the snow," Cooper answered with a shrug. "She once had a bad wipeout on ice and so she just stopped driving in Tudratown. Stoney, your eyes are better than mine, who's that standing outside of the car?"

The fox stepped over to a viewing box and cupped his paw over his eyes as he looked. "I can't tell but I'd swear it is your dad!"

"Bloody hell, what does that wowser want? It bloody well figures that he'd ruin the best day of my life!"

Karen softly walked over and put her paw in her friend's paw and squeezed it as the ferry drew closer to the dock. A tall muscular black jaguar with a scarred face and dressed in a black chauffeur uniform opened one of the passenger doors and helped an older pretty female wallaby out of the car. She took a moment to smooth the wrinkles out of her blue dress before she waved.

"My mum!" Cooper said with a thin smile as he waved back. "I haven't seen her in over two years." His happiness was short-lived when he saw the male wallaby walking towards the arriving ship.

"Give him a chance, brah," Stone cautioned as he put a paw on his best friend's shoulder. "But if you want, I can play mayor and have him deported." The wallaby gave a small laugh and relaxed a bit, but he was still visibly upset.

Slowly the ferry pulled up to the dock and the crew tied it down before dropping the bow to allow the passengers and then the vehicles to disembark. Stone picked up his and Karen's bags as they waited. Surprisingly the old wallaby hopped aboard the ship and ignoring the crew's protests, walked over to face his son. Cooper stood still and waited. His ears were drawn back as if he was going to get into a fight while the two wallabies just looked at each other over. "Sir, you need to…" a crew member began to say, but the older wallaby just cast him a withering look and the seal backed away.

He turned back to face his son again and sighed out, "I was bloody well wrong and I am sorry son."

"What?" Cooper exclaimed in surprise.

"I was wrong about you, wrong about the way I treated you, wrong about what I used to believe, and I'm sorry," his father answered his son's simple question. "I just wanted to tell you this before you get married and when…if… you and Billy ever forgive me, you're welcome home son."

The father and son stood there silently for a few moments before the crew member cleared his throat and they realized that they were blocking others from leaving the ship. "Go on son, your mum is waiting, I'll get my stuff and head back on this afternoon's ferry."

Cooper picked up his bag and followed his father back to shore and toward the limousine. His mother rushed forward and engulfed him in a hug as tears ran down both of their cheeks. Finally, the younger wallaby spoke in a muffled voice. "Dad can you stay for the wedding?" the older male wallaby nodded as he walked over and hugged him.

Karen gave Stone a look as the fox wiped tears from his eyes, before she sniffed and wiped her own tears away. The mood was broken when Reggie said, "Well that was touching, but Stoney I thought you said your dad was going to be here to give us a ride into town?"

The meerkat's question was answered by the booming sound of a car's backfiring and they all looked to see the smoking van with the mural of the barbarian wolf holding a fainting white vixen pulling into the parking lot. Even with the van's windows rolled up, they could hear Finnick's creatively disgusting cussing from where they were standing.

"I think we need a tow truck?" Karen groaned as she watched the smoke bellow out when the small older fox opened the van's hood. "We definitely need a tow truck."

Stone put the bags down and with a long drawn out sigh, began walking towards the van and his ears flicked when he heard his mother's voice berating Finn about needing to retire this "hunk of junk." He groaned as his father's reply was as creative as it was obscene in its response. Looking over at Cooper, he shook his head as the wallabies had now all turned their attention towards the fennec fox and the van.

"Dad!" he hissed out. "You're embarrassing me in front of Cooper's parents!"

"So, your old father is now an embarrassment to your friend's hooty tooty parents?" Finn scoffed. "Not all of us can arrive in a limo."

"You must be Stone's father?" the older wallaby called over as he and Cooper began to join them by the still smoking van. "That's a classic you've got there mate, she's a beaut ! There aren't too many of these old Lobos Z1's still being driven around. I owned one as a work van when I was younger and just loved it." He joined the older fox as they both looked inside at the engine. "Oy mate! Looks like the bloody gasket head blew, blimey it's…"

"Ah gentlemen, this isn't a car show but we're here for Cooper's wedding," Stone's mother admonished the two males as she hopped out of the van. "You must be Cooper's father, I'm Stone's mother Susan."

The older wallaby shook her paw and then introduced himself to Finn. "No Worries mates, there's plenty of room in the stretchie and it will get a chance to talk," he quickly said. "Ring up a servo to haul this into town and we'll give it a looksee after m'boy gets hitched."

Reggie scratched his head as he looked at the fox, "Cooper's dad sure has a hell of an accent."


	24. The Wedding Crasher

**Chapter 24: A Wedding Crasher**

* * *

 **Cooper and Billy's wedding. Stone gets served!**

* * *

If there ever was a perfect place for an outdoor wedding, it was the village park in Seaside. A lush green lawn stretched out between two immaculate beds of gaily colored flowers and beyond them was a white flower adorned wedding trellis which was overlooking the blue sea and the distant sky filled with fluffy white clouds. Stone pulled at the sleeve of his newly purchased blue suit and nervously adjusted his green and blue tie. "Blimey mate," Cooper chuckled as he looked over at the fox. "You bloody well look like you're the bloke getting married and not me."

Stone looked over at his best friend, who was also in a blue suit, but wore a white tie. "I guess I'm not that far behind you brah?" he said with a shrug. The fox looked the wallaby over before reaching out and adjusting the white carnation pinned to his best friend's lapel. His large ears twitched when he heard the sound of a harp beginning to play. "Ah, its showtime!"

"Stoney, you know we will always be best mates?" Cooper quickly added.

"Yes, but if you ever use that damn term BFF, I'll bite your face off!" the fox laughed as he gave the wallaby a gentle push towards the trellis. From the other side of the garden, he could see Billy and his father approaching and he smiled at the other wallaby, who was also dressed in a blue suit and a white tie. Under the white rose-covered trellis was Sam Scatterwell, the elderly white muzzled pika was standing on a box so that he was roughly the same height as the two grooms. He was dressed in a white robe with a rainbow-colored stole and held a copy of the Book of Lamb. Everyone knew that Sam was once a priest with the High Church, but he was defrocked years ago when it was revealed that he was gay and instead of fighting the established church, he began his own street ministry outreach to the LGBTQ community. Finally, after years of struggling both with the Church and radical members of the community to which he was attempting to preach, his spirit was broken and he fled to Seaside where he and his ministry were accepted.

Stone stepped back to one side as he watched Cooper take Billy's paw. "My dear friends, we are gathered here today under the eyes of the All-Mighty to witness the union of these two lovers in holy matrimony," intoned the pika. The fox looked over at the crowd, Billy's parents and his siblings were there. All of Cooper's brothers and his sister were there, along with his nephews and nieces, and both his parents. Their friends from the village were also there, along with his father Finn and his mother Susan. The fox's eyes focused back on Karen, the pretty sand cat was dressed in her yellow sundress, she smiled at him and he grinned back. His mind wandered as he thought about all that had recently happened while the minister's voice seemed to drone on and on, then suddenly his large ears flicked when he heard Sam announce, "It is now with great pleasure that I pronounce you spouses for life!"

The fox turned just in time to see his best friend passionately kiss Billy, the crowd applauded, cheered and howled. As the harpist began to play again, the two wallabies held paws while they walked down into the crowd. Behind them, someone had begun to ring the old church's bell and its sound echoed through the trees of the forest beyond as Stone and the others in the wedding party followed the happy couple down the winding path toward the village below.

The reception was in the village's only restaurant, the Blue Mermaid Bar and Grill. As Stone sat at the bar, he wasn't surprised when a portly possum in a white dress shirt and jeans took the seat next to him. "Well, I hear that ya'll are gonna be rich?" Fishbait drawled out in his unique Southern accent as he tossed a copy of the Zootopia Times onto the bar. "Stone Kole the treasure hunter." Fishbait, whose real name was Robert Tailor, owned the village's only grocery store and was a retired successful lawyer from Zootopia.

The little fox picked up the large newspaper and read the article about his treasure find. "Yeah, I've got some money coming, but I have no idea how much right now?" Stone shrugged.

"Just a word my little friend, there are those who are going to want to get their paws on that money," the possum warned. "Just a few days ago a snotty-nosed lawyer from the city was poking around here looking for information about you and where you hang out, so my advice is to watch your back."

"Why, what did I do that I have to be careful about?" the fox asked as he sipped his drink.

"It's just money begets trouble," Fishbait shrugged. "So are you still going to surf for a living now that ya'll got money?"

"I'd be on my board right now if I wasn't here for my best friend's wedding," Stone replied with a grin. "You know surfing gets into your blood and I love it almost as much as I love Karen." He glanced over and saw that the sand cat was chatting with Cooper's sister.

"Well…well…I wish you the best then," the possum added before he hopped off the stool.

"Are you and Karen heading back to the city tonight?" Al asked as the walrus pulled his heavy bulk over to where Stone was sitting.

"We are planning to spend the night at the trailer tonight…" he began to answer, he saw a weasel wearing a blue dress shirt and red tie enter the room and look around.

"Good, we thought you two would..." the large walrus began to reply but he was rudely interrupted by the stranger.

"I'm sorry, but are you the champion surfer Stone Kole?" the weasel asked as he approached and when the fox nodded, he was handed a small bundle of papers.

"What's all of this, I thought maybe you wanted my autograph?" the fox asked as he opened one of the sheets.

"No sir, you've just been served," the weasel answered as he nervously looked around.

"This is a private party on private property," Big Al growled. "So GET THE HELL OUT!" Everyone stopped and watched as the weasel scurried out of the door and the small fox was sitting on the bar stool with his ears flat and his tail tucked around his legs.

"What's the problem mate?" Cooper called over as he approached his best friend.

"Nothing," the fox muttered as he tossed the papers onto the bar. "Hey, it's your and Billy's big day, so let's party!"

"You're lying, Stoney," the wallaby sighed as he hopped up to the fox and put his paw out. The fox looked at him and then with a sigh, handed over the papers. The wallaby quickly read them over and his eyes shot up in surprise. "Blimey, mate! You're being sued for a bloody million bucks by that bugger of a reporter you punched!"

"Like I said Stone, money begets trouble," Fishbait drawled out.

"Can he even sue Stoney in the city if he punched him over here?" Karen asked as she joined him and Cooper by the bar.

"Ah reckon they're trying to argue since you surf competitively on the city beaches, that it is your place of business," the possum replied as he took the papers from Cooper's paws and began reading them. "This is a lame attempt to show sufficient legal grounds for something that happened outside of the city court's jurisdiction because that reporter knows he couldn't win in court over here."

"So what does that mean for me?" the fox asked as he looked over at Fishbait.

The retired lawyer sighed and shrugged, "If it was just me, I'd stay over on this side of the strait and not go back over to the city."

"It'll be a little hard to compete in the big surf competition if you don't Stoney," Reggie said as he joined them at the bar. "That means it'll just be me and Bonaparte leading the field." The meerkat frowned as he looked down into his glass and then over at the fox. "You know the three of us are the best in the field, so it is almost to Bonny's advantage if you are tied up in all this legal wrangling and don't show."

"Yours too," Billy added as he slipped up to Cooper and hugged his new husband. "Now if you don't mind me stealing away my lover, I want to dance."

"YES!" Stone slammed the papers down on the counter and pulled Karen into his arms. "It is my best friend's wedding so screw this and LETS ALL DANCE!"

Hours later, Cooper and Billy left in the limo to spend their honeymoon up the coast in a resort. Meanwhile, Finn, with the help of Cooper's father, repaired the van and got it running again better than ever. Stone was surprised when Cooper's parents took up his father's offer to drive them back to the city.

It was dark by the time that he and Karen got to the campsite and he was surprised to find out that the villagers had hooked up the solar batteries already for him and so they had a light that night. Grabbing a blanket and a flashlight, he led Karen out to the beach where they made out on the sand and then watched the stars above. The sun found the couple still entwined in their blanketed love nest when it rose.


	25. A Storm is Brewing

**Chapter 25: A Storm is Brewing**

* * *

 **Stone misses the surfing finals and Reggie wins. Stone's brother Storm gets out of prison.**

* * *

The busy and usually boisterous surfside bar became almost deathly quiet when Stone Kole walked into it and looked around. The silence was almost complete, except for the television's ever-constant droning of the Zootopia Sports Network Channel on the overhead televisions.

"The Zootopia Small Board Surfing Finals were marred with controversy today," the anchor announced. "First and foremost was the absence of the four-time champion Stone Kole, who was in court and missed the competition."

 _"Judge Warner refused to reschedule the hearing over the court's jurisdiction from today despite Mister Kole's attorney's request, effectively keeping him from participating in the annual Zootopia Surfing Finals…"_

 _"The four-time champion surfer was being sued for assaulting a former reporter…."_

 _"The court's jurisdiction of the case had been challenged by Mister Kole because the alleged assault took place outside of the city's limits…."_

 _"Controversy over the scoring of the points between surfers…"_

All eyes were on the small surfer in the blue teal sleeveless tee-shirt and baggy khaki shorts. "Come on everyone, I'm here to celebrate Reggie winning the Finals!" the fennec fox yelled out. "Let's party dudes!"

The conversation began again but was somewhat subdued as the fox made his way over to the table where the meerkat sat with several other surfers. "Stoney, we missed you on the waves!" Reggie called out as he stood and faced his friend. "It just wasn't the same without you kicking my tail today."

"Naw brah, you totally shredded those waves," Stone replied with a smile as he took the beer offered to him by one of the other surfers. "You were on your game today and even if I had been there you would have won."

"I can't believe the bloody crap Bonaparte pulled by protesting the points?" a wiry koala bear nicknamed Ace grumbled. "Talk about a sore loser."

Catcalls filled the bar and the fennec fox looked up at the image being broadcast. It was that film clip of him and Karen at the campsite over in Seaside and they were stark naked, although the station did pixel out their private parts. Then the camera panned in on the fox's snarling teeth and the punch he gave the groundhog reporter. "Damn they are still showing that!" he protested.

"Good looking squeeze Stoney," Someone called out. "If I get a full size poster of her, you think she'd sign it for me?" The fox shook his head as laughter filled the bar.

"Yeah, just ask her. I'm sure she will sign it just before she scratches out your eyes," he called back to the amusement of everyone. "And by the way she isn't my squeeze, she's my fiancée."

"Lucky you!" someone else called back and everyone laughed.

"Lucky me," Stone sighed as he sipped his beer and shook his head again. "You don't have to go home to an angry cat tonight and she will be pissed that this is being shown on the air again."

The conversation picked up again and laughter began to fill the bar as the surfers and their friends began to party. Someone cranked up the jukebox and played some old beach band music.

"So the case was dismissed," Reggie asked as he sat down opposite of the fox. "I heard that there was no legal doubt it would be, but it took long enough today to even make it to the docket."

"Warner kept delaying the hearing throughout the day, it was almost like he was trying to keep me there," Stone grunted. "I'd swear that the whole damn thing was to keep me from competing.

"I may have won, but without you being there everyone is saying I'm not really the champ," the meerkat said with a sigh.

Stone's ears drooped and he clutched the beer in anger. The meerkat jumped back in surprise as the small fox turned with a snarl and made his way to the bar, where he climbed up on the bar top and yelled for everyone's attention. "Listen up!" he growled and everyone looked over at the fox. The bar had become quiet again and all ears twitched waiting to hear what Stone was about to say.

"Get off the bar fox," the seal behind the bar top objected, but the little fox's look made the bartender go silent.

"You all were there today and I saw the whole competition on replay," Stone called out. "Reggie was the master on the board and he pulled some tricks that I could have never done. So stop this shit that he really didn't win, because trust me he would have kicked my tail like he did Bonaparte's." There were mutters of agreement before Stone raised his beer towards the meerkat. "To Reggie Yossarian, Zootopia's new champion!"

It was late in the evening when Karen finally got off work at the hotel and returned to her parent's condo. She found her fox outside on the balcony asleep in one of the lounge chairs and it was quite evident that he had drunk too much. With a sigh, she shook him and Stone muttered something unintelligible before he let out a cute little snore. Sitting down on a chair opposite of him she looked over at the fennec fox and wondered about their future, she loved Stone deeply but she also knew that they could never have children and sooner or later he would have to retire from being a professional surfer. With a yawn, she looked toward the beach and the dark sea beyond, before turning her attention back to her fiancée. "Come on stud, let's go to bed," she softly said as she gently shook him awake.

His eyes opened and at first, he looked up at her in confusion and then, with a grunt, sat up and tried to stagger onto his feet. "Oh you're home, how was work?" he slurred out as he finally gained his balance and let her lead him into the bedroom.

"Same as usual, the hotel was packed with rowdy guests who are staying for the surf competitions," she softly chuckled. "A few misbehaved, but nothing major so far."

She watched as the fox began to strip, he peeled his shirt off to reveal his slightly lighter tan colored chest fur and then dropped his shorts. The fox was thin and wiry, like a lot of his fellow surfers, and his tail slowly swished behind him before he sat down on the bed and looked up at her. The only light was from the moon outside which shone through the window. Her green eyes narrowed as she looked into his brown ones. "Well it's your turn to undress," he said in a husky whisper as he gave her a drunken smirk. By the time she had unbuttoned her blouse, he had passed out sprawled across the sheets.

"That's my fox," she sighed as she gently covered him with a sheet and finished undressing. "You could never hold your booze, Stoney."

It was early in the morning when she felt him stir and snuggle further into her embrace before they both contently nodded off again.

* * *

Later that morning in another part of town, a scarred sand cat in a blue suit looked over with contempt at the middle-aged mongoose wearing a red fez, who was sitting at his office desk and then at the white rabbit which was standing next to him. "Da boss delivered as promised, he got the fox out of the competition and it ain't easy buyin off a judge like that," the cat angrily snapped at the mongoose. "It also ain't his fault your boy didn't win neither. Either way, yose are gonna live up to the deal or else!"

The mongoose just stared at the desk in defeat and his secretary a white rabbit looked as if he was going to object, but then winced as the jackal in the tan suit who standing behind the cat gave a dangerous smirk. Bonaparte's father finally nodded but didn't reply. "Good we'll be in touch, understand?" the cat grunted as he wheeled around and charged out the door.

"So Chucky, what do you think he'd do if he found out that the boss paid off a couple of the judges at the surf completion to make sure his kit didn't win?" the jackal laughed as he climbed into a large black sedan.

"Nutin, what can he do?" the cat chuckled. "The boss is a smart cookie and played both sides. Without the fox in the competition, everyone's money was on the mongoose to win and so he put his cash down on the meerkat, made a bundle on that bet too!"

"Speaking of that fox, let's go pick up his brother Storm, he's getting out of the clink about now," the jackal added as he leaned back into his seat with a sigh.

"That's the plan," the cat chuckled. "I'd hate to be that scumbag today, the boss already has a job for him and it's a dozy."

Outside of the stout brick penitentiary, a fennec fox in a cheap blue suit and white open-collared sport shirt smirked at the guard standing at the doorway as he reached into his pocket to pull out and snap open a pair of sunglasses. "So what time you get off Phil?" he inquired in a sarcastic tone.

"Why do you want to know?" the uniformed prairie dog snapped back.

"Just wanted to know how much time I have to make love to your wife before you get home," Storm Kole chuckled as he picked up his bag and looked with both anticipation and some trepidation at the approaching black sedan.

* * *

 **Excerpt from Stone Kole in Storm Warning:**

 **Zootopia's favorite small board surfer is getting married, but things turn sinister when his brother Storm is released from jail with a contract to kill their father Finnick. This is the third and last story of the Stone Kole Series.**

The tall pudgy camel named Salazar was dressed in a spotlessly white jellabiya and as he leaned back into some plush cushions while taking another drag from a tall decorative brass hookah which was sitting before him on a gold tripod. Looking down at the small fennec fox, he blew the white smoke into the air. "So Storm Kole, they have returned you back to our embrace," the camel mused as he reached for a date that was on a silver platter.

The fox tried not to frown as the camel tossed him the morsel and he mumbled his thanks as he chewed the sweet treat, he knew better than to insult his ruthless boss by refusing the humiliating gift. It symbolized that the criminal mastermind who sat on the royal blue cushions before him more or less owned him, a bond that the young fox had foolishly forged when he was still an angry youth. "Thank you Sidi," he said with a bow.

"So my little wayward friend, what am I to do with you now that you have returned?" the camel acted like he was musing the small fox's fate, but Storm knew that a decision had already been made and Salazar was only dramatically toying with him. "You are young and look like a puppy, perhaps I can find you a place in one of my brothels?" he teased with a chuckle. "You would be popular with some of our more perverted clients."

Storm could not help but grimace at that statement, although he did contain his anger. All those years in jail, he had made it quite clear, a few times in a very violently dramatic fashion, that he did not do that. "But such would be a punishment and not a reward for you, little one," the camel continued. "You should be rewarded for your loyalty in not revealing any of our little family's secrets, perhaps when we finish I will arrange for you to visit such a delightful place as my guest? I have several new vixens that you might like to visit since you have been denied a female's embrace for so long." Storm tried, but failed, to keep his tail from wagging at the thought of that prospect and it did not go unnoticed by the smiling camel.

"But I have a mission for you to prove your loyalty, one that is very difficult but necessary," Salazar continued to speak as he puffed on his pipe again, blowing the smoke into rings above Storm's head. A rough-looking sand cat in a blue suit handed him a file and he opened it to see a photo of a red fox in a police uniform.

"You want me to do what to this cop?" he asked with concern. "Ain't this Nick Wilde?"

The camel puffed again before he leaned forward. "That fox has been a thorn in my side for months, he and his partner have been picking away at my street operations. So far they haven't upset nothing major, but he has interfered with one scheme after another!" the camel snapped in anger. Then he relaxed and leaned back again into the cushions. "But alas, he is protected somewhat by my associate's in Tundratown, who have taken a liking to his partner and she has taken more than a casual liking for her partner."

"A bunny and a fox!" Storm couldn't help but blurt out in surprise. "You've got to be kidding."

"So if I cannot hurt the cop," Salazar said in a menacing voice. "I can hurt him other ways to warn him off."

Storm turned the page and his blood froze when he saw the next photo, it was his father Finnick! He struggled not show any emotion, but looked up at the large camel and gave a thin smile. "So what do you want me to do?" he asked.

The camel leaned forward and looked into the fox's eyes, "Simple my little friend, I want you to kill him!"

Although the small fox had no great love for the father who abandoned him and his brother Stone, he knew that this was wrong. Impassively he stared back at Salazar before he nodded.

* * *

 **The Stone Kole Series:**

 **Zootopia: Stone Kole in Hang Ten!** \- Stone Kole is city's favorite three-time small board champion surfer and all the beach bumming fennec fox wants to do is surf the waves. He soon finds out that life is more complicated than that when he seeks out a father who never knew he was born, comforts his best friend who has been rejected because of his lifestyle, and deals with the fact that he is in love with a cat.

 **Stone Kole in Dark Paradise** \- Zooptopia's favorite small board surfer and his pals travel to an exotic tropical island to be in a movie, but the gang soon learns that everything is not as idyllic as it seems. On top of that, the fennec fox is in love with a sand cat and gets caught up in the WildeHopps mixed-species controversy. This story contains voodoo, zombies, and there's also a pesky pirate ghost too!

 **Stone Kole in Storm Warning -** Zootopia's favorite small board surfer is getting married, but things turn sinister when his brother is released from jail with a contract to kill their father Finnick. This is the third and last story of the Stone Kole Series.


End file.
